General News of Monday, 4 June 2018

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

2018 BECE: Invigilators laud students’ composure; candidates optimistic

A candidate speaking to Ghanaweb TV after the first paper play videoA candidate speaking to Ghanaweb TV after the first paper

Some Junior High School (JHS) candidates partaking in the 2018 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) within the Greater Accra region have expressed confidence in the final exams which commenced today, Monday, June 4, 2018.

Students from some private and public schools during an interaction with GhanaWeb revealed that their anxiety prior to this year’s BECE was put to rest after they encountered easy questions in the English Language exams, the first paper for today.

They intimated their nerves were calmed after the test and prayed they encounter similar easy questions in their subsequent examinations.

A number of invigilators who monitored the students also applauded the candidates for their composure and conduct as no cases of examination malpractice was recorded.

Over 500,000 candidates from public and private basic schools across the country are sitting for the BECE which is expected to come to an end on Friday, June 8, 2018.

The Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Nii Adjei Sowah, was on tour Monday, at some examination centres across the capital including the Accra Academy Senior High School, to monitor activities there and wish the students good luck.

The West African Examination Council (WAEC), coordinators of the exam, is using 546 centres across the country for the examination. Parliament has urged the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to ensure that the exams run smoothly without any hitches.

There had been an uproar concerning the inability of students to select their preferred Senior High Schools prior to the examinations. However, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has urged the public to be assured that candidates sitting for the exams will be allowed to select their preferred Senior High Schools under the school selection and placement policy despite the unusual delay.

According to the GES, the delay is a result of a new policy guideline it has introduced into the school selection policy

GES has said that candidates who sit for the exams will be given three weeks after their exams to select their schools.