Invigilators in the Agortime Ziope District of the Volta Region are threatening a boycott of the Basic Education Certificate Examination over non-payment of outstanding allowances.
The exams start next week, but invigilators plan to protest Ghana Education Service’s failure to pay them their two-year outstanding allowances.
[contextly_sidebar id=”UjH0mh9oKh7k4kAn0G6IJwBVKNzoHp53″]Their Spokesperson, who spoke to Citi News on condition of anonymity called on invigilators across the country to join the protest.
“We the people of Agortime Ziope district are saying that we will never go and invigilate. The next BECE exam which is starting from Monday 4th June to 8th June. The reason being that the government has refused to pay us our 2016/2017 invigilation allowances under the GES.”
The 2017/2018 BECE examination is expected to kick off on Monday across all regions.
Ahead of the exams, the Ghana Education Service has assured all final year BECE candidates of a successful process in selecting their preferred schools in the wake of recent technical glitches that affected the program.
The service has therefore extended the period of schools selection.
According to the GES, candidates will have up to three weeks after they write their BECE, to make their selection.
“..Our kids are alarmed so we will give them some three weeks to choose their schools..” the Public Relations Officer of the GES, Cassandra Twum-Ampofo said.
The issue of non-payment of allowances seems to be a long-standing one as in June 2017; the same invigilators similarly threatened a boycott of the exams over the non-payment of their accrued allowances by the Ghana Education Service.
The invigilators, numbering about 28, said several attempts had been made since 2015 to get the GES to pay the accrued allowances.
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By: Marian Ansah & King Norbert Akpabli/citinewsroom.com/Ghana