Over 200 candidates prevented from writing BECE to enjoy free SHS

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has said the candidates prevented from writing the 2017 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) at Bindi South in the Bunkpurugu–Yunyoo district of the Northern region will benefit from the governments free SHS policy.

According to the Public Relations Officer of WAEC, Agnes Teye Cudjoe, the examination body is preparing to organize a special exam in 2018 for interested candidates.

She said the GES is making arrangement to place the candidates in SHS using the subjects that they took for the examination so that they’re not left out of the free Senior High School programme.

Speaking on Accra-based Kasapa FM, she said "With the about 200 candidates from the Bunkpurugu District who unable to take the English and RME papers, the Council has had some discussion with the Ghana Education Service and the GES is making arrangement to place these candidates in Senior High Schools using the subjects that they took for the examination so that they’re not left out of the Free Senior High School programme. Another thing that the Council is going to do is to give them the opportunity to register for the examination and the Council will conduct the investigation at no cost to these candidates."

Background

About 260 pupils from four communities in the Bunkpurugu–Yunyoo district failed to sit for the BECE following a misunderstanding between chiefs and regional education authorities over location of examination centers.

The candidates including 70 candidates from Kanbatiak Junior High School, Guanging 51, Gbingbamong 79 and 18 Yenupinii were prevented from traveling to Gbankoni primary school center to write the exams by the chief of Kanbatiak and some residents after education authorities failed to provide a closer center to the communities despite initial pledges.

The affected students couldn’t write English and RME subjects.