A total of 55, 584 candidates from both public and private Junior High Schools are writing this year’s 5-day Basic Education Certificate Examination, (BECE) in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions.
The examinations, which started yesterday August 7, 2023 would end on Friday August 11, 2023 across the country.
A total number of 600,714 candidates, comprising 300,323 males and 300,391 females from 18,993 participating schools have registered for the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) across the country.
According to WAEC, the number of candidates that registered for this year’s BECE is 8.8% higher than the 2022 entry figure of 552,276.
With regards to the BECE for private candidates, a total entry figure of 1,743 candidates was recorded and this is made up of 889 males and 854 females. This year’s figure is 5.4% higher than the entry figure of 1,132 for 2022.
The Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Education Service (GES) for the Bono region, Mr. Luke Mensah, told The Chronicle that 1,720 invigilators and 199 supervisors have been deployed for the examinations at 199 centers in the Ahafo and Bono regions.
He added that there are 20 depots holding the examination papers and other confidential materials during the conduct of the examinations.
BONO REGION
According to the PRO, a total of 23,436 candidates made of 11,663 males and 11,773 females registered for the examination in the Bono region. The candidates would write their papers at 80 centers in the region.
At the time of filing this report, it was not known whether there are any pregnant candidates in this year’s BECE in the three regions.
GOODWILL MESSAGES
The Executive Secretary for Key Media Solutions, Madam Stella Dabia Asare, has sent a goodwill message to candidates sitting for this year’s (2023) Basic Education Certificate Examination.
The message, copied to The Chronicle in Sunyani, read in part: “I write to convey heartfelt best wishes from Key Media Solutions to all our beloved sons, daughters, brothers and sisters, who will be sitting for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
“As you commence your examination today to mark another milestone in your lives, I believe in your ability to put in your best, and excel”, the message said
“You are capable and I hope you know that the best way to do well in your examination is to believe in yourself and never give room for doubt. Let the amount of preparation you have put in, manifest as you take each paper. Compose yourselves, present what is required of you and write the examination to make yourselves and the rest of us proud”, the message added.
Madam Dabia Asare also commended staff of the GES for preparing the candidates for the examination.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the District Director of Education and staff of the GES, head teachers, subject teachers and all stakeholders who played various roles in making sure that our candidates were prepared well to write this examination”, Madam Dabia Asare said.
She further cautioned the candidates to eschew all forms of examination malpractices before, during and after the exams and further called on the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to take all the necessary security measures to ensure leakage free of examination papers to avoid unnecessary cancellation of papers.
