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The West African Examination Council (WAEC), has cancelled its 21st Endowment Fund Lecture which was scheduled to be held in Ghana on March 14, 2015.

This is because the theme for the lecture, has been deemed a potential threat to the country’s November polls.

WAEC has explained that the theme “The three-four-year-pendulum: Towards a stable public policy on Senior High School education in Ghana,” has the potential of generating political controversy” in the country because of the 2016 general election.

This was the first time the lecture was going to be held in Ghana since 2011, and the guest speaker was the President of the Central University College, Professor Kwesi Yankah.

It is however unclear who or what forced an autonomous body like WAEC to put on hold the much publicized lecture at the eleventh hour.

While apologizing for the cancellation of the lecture, a letter signed by the Deputy Registrar at WAEC, E.K. Myers and cited by citifmonline.com, explained that the council is mindful of the election season in Ghana and would not want to be drawn into any political debates “which it strives to avoid.”

“The Council supports the exchange of scholarly ideas and works without any fetters. However, it recognizes the tendency to be drawn into political debates, which it strives to avoid in order to remain professional and not be distracted from executing its core mandate. We therefore advise that your lecture be put on hold and saved for another occasion when the season is ripe…Please accept our sincerest apology for the late hour change in plan,” the letter added.

Why topic is ‘political’

Ghana’s Senior High School (SHS) duration, has been altered several times between the three and four years duration by the administrations of the two main political parties, the NDC and the NPP.

Both parties have at various times advanced arguments why their preferred duration is appropriate and efficient. But critics have accused politicians of toying with education merely because they find it politically expedient.