2019 Basic Education Certificate Examination

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE 2019 BECE WHICH BEGAN YESTERDAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY

The 2019 Basic Education Certificate Examination, BECE is ongoing across the country.  517,332 candidates from 16,871 public and private basic schools nationwide are writing the examination. The candidates are made up of 263,616 males and 253,716 females. The examination started with two subject, English and Religious and Moral Education in all the 1,880 examination centres across the country. Reports indicate that it started smoothly yesterday without much hitches showing an improvement over the previous years. The only incident which is likely to dent the image of this year’s examination is the arrest of a Proprietor and Headmaster of a Private School in the Ketu South Municipality for allegedly registering 62 Togolese students as Ghanaians to take part in the examination.  The two are assisting the Police in their investigations. According to reports, the intent was to enable the foreign students to benefit from Ghana’s free SHS which is reserved for Ghanaians. It is sad citizens of this country will indulge in an act to mar the image of the examination. It is heart-warming that measures have been put in place to ensure maximum security for candidates in the Chereponi District of the North East Region in view of the conflicts there. We commend the West African Examination Council, WAEC, for putting in measures to curb examination malpractices. These malpractices including what has become known as ‘Apor’ is killing the spirit behind the examination. It is not good for students to always want the short cut success. Short cuts as is said are always dangerous. The caution by the Examination Council against candidates following activities on rogue websites, some of which claim to have access to examination questions is also a step in the right direction. Such website operators mislead these children to fall prey to their pranks. Parents and teachers have done their part in preparing the candidates for the examination which will ensure their progress to the Secondary School and therefore it behoves the candidates to do their best to justify the investment made in them. The examination this year will be keen since the Ministry of Education has put the cut off point at aggregate 25. This makes it important for candidates to pass well, else they will be denied entry to enjoy the free SHS.  Candidates must not put their parents to shame. Rather they must see the examinations as their future and crack their brains to achieve success. We say Good luck to all students writing the BECE.

BY: ERNEST OBENG-ANIM,  A JOURNALIST.