With the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) commencing today, August 7, 2023, 22,431 candidates are expected to take part in the examination in the Upper East Region.
The figure is higher than the 2022 figure which was a little over 20,000.
Out of the 22,431 candidates, 10,578 are males while 11,853 are females, who are expected to take part in the examination across all the 64 examination centers in the region.
Across the country, over 600,000 are expected to sit for the exams.
Speaking in an interview with Dreamz News, the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service in the Upper East Region, Nathaniel Nyaaba, said candidates from all the schools have been adequately prepared for this year’s exams.
Mr. Nyaaba further cautioned candidates against engaging in any form of examination malpractice, adding candidates should desist from relying on what they believe are leaked exam questions widely known in Ghana as “apor’.
“For the preparation, as usual, teachers have taken the candidates through a series of examinations to assess them, they have discussed the mock exams and had extra tuition. As a region, what we don’t want is a situation where they will cancel a school’s results or a candidate’s paper because he or she has indulged in exam malpractices. It is not the best. Exams we know are to assess us, to know whether the syllable we are using is good or not, and also for certification purposes so there is no need to cheat in an examination. With hard work and God’s grace, they can make it.” Mr. Nyaaba cautioned.
While disclosing that special arrangements have been made to have the 1,989 candidates in Bawku write the exams, he added that the conflict adversely affected preparations for the exams since certain initiatives could not be carried out coupled with poor supervision which he said could negatively impact the performance of candidates from Bawku.
“All schools in Bawku are still in session but the challenge has been with going to schools to monitor them. So, the exam centers have been created to enable students to write at their comfort zones just that we are concerned about the mental strength of the candidates given what they are going through and I will not be surprised that the conflict can be part of any form of poor performance.” He lamented.
