The Minister of Education, Yaw Osei Adutwum, has defended the government's decision to utilize sole-source procurement for acquiring past questions for Senior High School (SHS) students in 2020 and 2021.

Revealed in 2020, the government reportedly disbursed over GH¢68.5 million to a supplier for materials distributed to SHS students ahead of the 2021 West African Senior High School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Detailing the transaction in Parliament on March 4, 2024, the minister clarified that the government "procured 446,954 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) questions from Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery at a unit price of GH¢78.00."

The procurement, he disclosed, was financed through the Free Senior High School account.

“Mr. Speaker, in 2020, the government through its efforts to help students amidst COVID-19 to prepare for the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) procured 568,755 past questions for students to try their hands on before sitting for the actual exams.”

He continued: “The Ministry of Education contracted Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery to supply 568,755 WASSCE past questions at a contract price of GHS 33,641,043.75.

"The procurement of these questions was funded through the Free Senior High School Account and the results of the 2020 WASSCE were tremendous compared to previous years’ WASSCE performance," he stressed.

The minister also gave updates on efforts to supply textbooks to basic schools: “Mr. Speaker, the procurement process for the supply of published textbooks to Basic Schools is currently ongoing.

"The Ministry placed an advert in the Ghanaian Times on 1st June 2020, where various publishers approved by NaCCA, submitted their books and relevant documents to be taken through a Pre-Qualification procurement process,” he added.

Additionally, the minister provided updates on the textbook supply efforts to basic schools: “The procurement process for the supply of published textbooks to Basic Schools is currently underway. The Ministry initiated the process on 1st June 2020, with various publishers approved by NaCCA submitting their books and relevant documents for a Pre-Qualification procurement process.”