News

Government pays Chinese firms $98m to mark BECE papers

• By Caleb Blaze
• June 14, 2018
• 0

The Education Ministry has rubbished reports that government has awarded a $98 million contract to a Chinese firm to take over the marking of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) scripts.  

According to the Head of Public Relations Unit of the Ministry, it defies logic that government will go ahead to award such a contract when the West African Education Council (WAEC) is offering the same service for free.

Vincent Ekow Assafuah said the amateurish report is “a pathetic effort at manufacturing lies to court disaffection for government” and must be ignored.

His comment follows a report by a news portal that the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Education Minister, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh has awarded a $98 million to a Chinese firm to take over the marking of BECE scripts.

According to the report, government has argued that giving out the contract is cheaper than what the WAEC is currently charging for offering the same service.

But the Ministry has questioned why no other media house has reported the said press briefing at the Jubilee House addressed by Dr Bawumia.

The Ministry denied such a press conference ever taking place.

Assuaging public fears, it reiterated that WAEC is still in charge of marking the BECE scripts through teachers it recruits and contracts for that purpose.

Source: watchghana.com