The performance of pupils at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Bolgatanga Municipality in the Upper East Region has significantly improved.

The Municipality recorded 52.4 per cent success rate, representing 16.7 per cent increase over the previous year’s performance.

In 2016, 2017 and 2018, the Bolgatanga Municipality had 39.5 per cent, 34.6 per cent and 35.7 per cent of the candidates getting the pass grades and proceeding to the second cycle institutions.

These were revealed by Mr Joseph Atura Amiyuure, the Chief Executive for the area, at the ‘meet the press series’ in Bolgatanga.

The MCE explained that a number of interventions were implemented through the provision of furniture and infrastructure to some deprived schools, which provided an enabling environment for the pupils and teachers to learn and work.

Mr Amiyuure indicated that under the Ministry of Special Initiatives, about 400 metal dual desks and 300 mono desks were procured and distributed to six schools across the municipality, while a further 732 metal dual desks was procured and yet to be distributed to various schools.

“The Assembly also increased the number of beneficiary schools under the school feeding programme from 33 schools in 2016 to 57 schools in 2019, making enrolment to shoot-up from 13,105 pupils to 22,833 in the same period”.

He said the Assembly also constructed a six-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities at Wantania Islamic School in Tanzui, three-unit classroom block at Sherigu Azanlonge complex school with computer laboratory and computers installed among others.

The MCE commended the Municipal Director of Education, Ms Anne Estella Kye-beebo, for her hardwork and good quality leadership skills that had contributed immensely to achieving the impressive feat.

He indicated that aside the government of Ghana providing fuel for Directors and circuit supervisors to ensure effective monitoring, the Municipal Director encouraged every stakeholder within her jurisdiction to work hard, while challenges confronting each school were strategically addressed.

According to Ms Kye-beebo, a policy was developed to ensure that BECE candidates signed a bond of good behavior as a way to curb the bad character usually exhibited by pupils after registration for the examination “I came here in 2018 at the point, where the candidates were about to write their BECE so I could not do anything, but I realised that after registration, the candidates used not to come to school again. So I strategised and made all candidates to sign a bond of good behavior with the approval of their parents,” the Director added.

The director indicated that a series of mock examinations were organised for the candidates to adequately prepare them for the finals, which significantly had an impact on the final results.