Deputy Minister for Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has disclosed that there exists sufficient capacity to accommodate all 600,714 candidates participating in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
There are more than 900 Senior High Schools (SHS) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in the country.
Rev. Fordjour emphasized that the key requirement was for these candidates to successfully pass the BECE, which would then enable them to access the transformative Free SHS initiative.
He made this statement during an engagement with BECE candidates as they underwent their examination at St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School in Accra on Wednesday.
Accompanied by the Director of Education for Greater Accra, Mr. Stephen Bamfo, the Deputy Minister assured the candidates of the government’s unwavering commitment to implementing measures that ensure optimal support for their educational pursuits.
“Free High School (FSH)/ Free Technical and Vocational Education and Training (FTVET) await you, so work hard to benefit from the novel policy to shape your future dreams”. He said.
The Member of Parliament for Assin South also advised the candidates to concentrate on their own capabilities and refrain from seeking assistance from others, as they each had distinct sets of questions despite sharing the same examination hall.
He further dispelled rumors that Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) was going to be cancelled, saying, “there has not been any discussion or policy to terminate BECE today or tomorrow, the notion should be disregarded.”
“The West African Examination Council (WAEC) remains our partner in education development. We will keep resourcing WAEC so it would continue to discharge its mandate as required of them,” he added.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour acknowledged the significant supportive role that WAEC has consistently played in advancing education within the country. He noted that occasional financial assistance is provided to them based on their requirements and program objectives.
The Deputy Minister expressed regret over a limited number of isolated incidents that occurred at specific examination centers across the nation, labeling them as deeply unfortunate occurrences.
He affirmed that those implicated in these incidents would face severe consequences as a means to instruct and discourage others from engaging in examination misconduct.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour maintained an optimistic perspective, attributing the arrest of a number of educators to the stringent measures implemented to combat all forms of examination malpractice.
Meanwhile, the 2023 BECE is expected to come to a successful end today.