By: Alieu Ceesay
A group of teachers hired as assistant examiners by the West African Examination Council’s Banjul office to mark the 2024 Grade 9 examination papers are expressing serious frustration after the Council failed to compensate them for their services.
The Council was scheduled to meet with the group of teachers on Friday to discuss the payment delays and determine the next steps. However, it appears that the Council did not meet with the concerned examiners, who arrived in Banjul as early as 8 a.m. on Friday. The officials responsible for logistics were reportedly out of the office.
The examiners are compensated based on the number of scripts they mark, with WAEC currently paying D9 per script. However, the group is now requesting an increase in the fee from D9 to D20 per script. They are also demanding a risk allowance and have asked that WAEC ensure payments are made within two weeks after the work is completed rather than aligning payments with the release of results.
The Head of the WAEC Banjul office, Samba Baldeh, confirmed that some examiners are not paid.
For many teachers in The Gambia, marking exam scripts has evolved into more than just an extra duty; it has become a vital source of income. However, delays in payments from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) office in Banjul are putting teachers in a difficult position, with some being forced to borrow money to meet their basic needs.
Teachers, frustrated by the lack of updates on their compensation, are demanding prompt payment and considering boycotting future marking engagements.
“Unfortunately, some of our colleagues and I were not told how much they would pay us,” one teacher lamented. “Due to poverty, I had to mark over 300 scripts without even knowing the amount I would receive. As a family man, I expected this money to bridge some financial gaps at home, but now I’ve had to take out loans from the credit union as backup, which puts me further into poverty.”
Teachers report submitting their completed scripts as early as August, yet WAEC has not officially announced when they will be paid.
One affected teacher shared his concern with TAT: “It’s challenging because you must leave all your personal activities and concentrate on marking. You can’t have time for your family or even relax because you’re working hard to meet the timeline. In fact, if you misplace a single exam script, you’re at risk.”
The economic burden caused by the delay has significantly impacted many teachers, who depend on these payments to supplement their modest salaries. One teacher remarked, “Since we submitted the scripts, they keep telling us, ‘we’re working on it,’ and blame the accounts office. However, WAEC has not officially contacted us regarding our payment.”
In addition to financial distress, teachers expressed their concerns about the WAEC marking process, describing it as physically and mentally demanding. One teacher explained, “Marking is risky because if even one script is lost, you face serious consequences.”
Another teacher added, “Every few days, I had to travel from Foni to Kanifing to have my work vetted by a supervisor. I spent over D500 just on transportation. After marking, I had to isolate myself to focus, and it took me almost two weeks to complete 210 scripts.”
The aggrieved teachers call on the Gambia Teachers’ Union (GTU) to intervene and resolve the payment issue.
Meanwhile, during their visit, WAEC officials neglected their call as they didn’t show up for negotiations with teachers, Causing them more frustration.
“We are more frustrated our expectations are to meet the head of the national office ( Mr. Baldeh); we are told he is not in the office, and his deputy, Mr. Sawaneh, failed to come and answer us, which is disrespectful to us,’ one of the examiners hired by WAEC told TAT at the scene.
