The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has disclosed that the release of the 2024 WASSCE results has been delayed due to the government’s failure to disburse additional funds from an outstanding debt of GH¢118 million. These funds are crucial for repairing objective scanning machines, which are essential for processing examination results.
In a statement, the council explained that the scanning of objective cards, initially scheduled for 1 November to 30 November 2024, could not proceed as planned.
"Scanning of the objective cards, which was scheduled for November 1 to November 30, 2024, is yet to be completed due to the breakdown of scanners used for the process. The Council is awaiting the release of additional funds out of the outstanding balance of GH¢ 118,000,000.00 from the Ministry of Education for the repair of the scanners to enable the scanning process and other post-examination processes to continue smoothly," the statement read.
WAEC also urged the public to disregard unverified dates circulating on social media and assured that results would be released once all challenges are addressed.
"Members of the public are urged to ignore information circulating on social media purporting to be dates for the release of results. The results will be released as soon as the challenges being experienced with the post-examination activities are resolved."
The delay in releasing WAEC results has significant implications for students, potentially disrupting their educational and career trajectories. Missed university admission deadlines could force students to defer studies or lose scholarship opportunities.
Those intending to study abroad may face missed intake deadlines or complications with application requirements. Furthermore, disruptions to academic calendars might delay transitions to higher education, creating backlogs in admissions and compelling some students to wait another year. Students seeking jobs that require WAEC certification could also struggle to secure employment, affecting their immediate career prospects.