Bawku (U/E), Feb.2, GNA - Some 2,486 candidates have been registered= to take part in this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) i= n April in the Bawku municipality.

The candidates, 1,423 boys and 1,063 girls are to write Mathematics, English Language, General Science, General Agriculture, Social Studies, Pre-Technical and Vocational Skills, Mr Leonidas Darkora, Municipal Assistant Director of Education, told the GNA in an interview on Wednesday. He said aside this, 910 had registered to participate in the West Africa Senior High Certificate Examination (WASHCE) at the senior high school level, 679 being boys and 231 girls. The school dropout rate in 2010 was 2.1 percent in the municipality which was not bad and the directorate was conducting a school mapping exercise to get figures for 2011 rate, he said. Mr. Darkora called on parents and other stakeholders to contribute to the reduction of the school dropout rate to zero as education was the bed rock to national development and every child needed a chance to go to school.

Mr. Musah Abduliah, Municipal Chief Executive, cut the sod for work to start on classrooms and libraries for Boko, Binduri, and Yaligo communities= .. He appealed to community members to supervise the projects to ensure early completion.