By our Reporter
Liberia’s Education Ministry is calling on schools “to desist from collecting fees from students” for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), in the wake of President George Weah’s pronouncement waiving payments for 12th grade students.
In his first State of the Nation address on Monday, President Weah announced that the 2018 WASSCE fees for 12th graders at private and public schools will be paid by government.
Weah’s pronouncement followed his appointment of former University of Liberia (UL) Vice President, Prof. Ansu D. Sonii as Minister of Education designate pending confirmation by the Liberian Senate.
The new Liberian leader said that in collaboration with former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Liberian government had already made an initial allocation for this purpose, in fulfillment of his campaign promised late last year.
“My government has already started to disburse these fees by committing an initial amount of US$200,000,” President Weah said.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the Education Ministry said “schools that have already submitted WASSCE fees to WAEC should expect those payments to be refunded once the Government of Liberia fulfills its remaining financial obligation to WAEC.”
Meanwhile, the Education Ministry is urging all principals and school administrators to immediately register their student through the online portal of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Thousands of 12th graders will later this year sit the WASSCE exams to be administered by the WAEC.
The Education Ministry says by using WAEC’s online portal, schools will be able to register their students without needing to make any payments.
Each 12th student is required to pay US$60.00 or its equivalent in Liberian dollar before sitting the upcoming WASSCE exams.
An Education Ministry press release issued on Tuesday said, “accordingly, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), in consultation with the Ministry of Education, has extended the deadline for registration for the 2018 exams.”
The Ministry says “the new and final deadline is February 13, 2018. Any school failing to register its pupils by this deadline will be responsible for paying the exam fees for those students.”