571,894 candidates participate in 2021 BECE

A total of 571,894 candidates from 18,028 schools will sit this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) across the country, starting today.

The five-day examination will be written in 2,158 centres under the supervision of 2,158 supervisors and 1,853 assistant supervisors.

Statistics

Two hundred and eighty-seven thousand, six hundred and five of them are males while the remaining 284,289 are females, with the Ashanti Region presenting the largest number of candidates of 111,432, while the Greater Accra Region follows with 105,539 candidates.

The Head of Public Affairs of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, who provided the figures, said the Central Region followed with 63,727 candidates, while a combined force of Western and Western North regions presented 58,316 candidates.

The Eastern Region, according to her, presented 55,930 candidates, while 53,265 candidates were from the Bono, Ahafo and Bono East together. The Northern, North East and Savannah together had 44,838 candidates, while the Volta and Oti together presented 42,093 candidates.

According to her, the Upper East and Upper West Region accounted for 22,116 and 14,638 candidates, respectively.

More girls

She said significantly, the Greater Accra, Upper East and Upper West regions presented more female candidates than males.

The Greater Accra Region presented 50,815 males and 54,824 females, while the Upper East Region presented 10,586 males and 11,530 females and the Upper West had 7,290 males and 7,348 females.

Malpractice

While wishing the candidates all the best in the examination, Mrs Teye-Cudjoe reminded them to stay away from any examination malpractice, since that could jeopardise their future.

She said the WAEC, together with all its partners, had put in place security measures and candidates who fell foul would be dealt with.

Mrs Teye-Cudjoe also reminded invigilators and supervisors as well as the security officials deployed at all the examination centres to play their respective roles professionally and not allow themselves to be compromised.

Best wishes

In a related development, the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, on behalf of his ministry, has extended his best wishes to all the candidates who are writing the exams beginning today, Monday, November 15 to Friday, November 19, 2021.

He said: “Together with your parents and teachers, our dear nation has made great contributions over the past nine (9) years of your education and now is the time for you to finish well and excel”.

Peaceful examination

The statement said the minister was encouraging all candidates, invigilators, supervisors, school authorities and teachers to observe all the COVID-19 safety protocols and avoid all forms of examination malpractice.

“Let me assure you that my ministry is working hand in hand with the Ghana Education Service, West African Examinations Council and the Security Services to ensure a smooth and peaceful examination at all the 2,158 designated centres across the country,” it said.