The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has welcomed the decision by the Government of Ghana to pay the registration fees for candidates for the 2018 Basic Education Certificates Examination (BECE).

The General Secretary of GNAT, David Ofori Acheampong, said over the years, the inability of some parents to foot the registration bills of their wards has denied qualified students the opportunity to write the examinations, a situation that makes the government’s intervention a good one.

The government made the announcement through a statement dated 6 November 2017, issued by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), signed by W. Addy-Lamptey, to all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Director of Education.

It said: “The registration of candidates for the BECE for School Candidates, 2018 is scheduled to take place from 13 November to 15 December, 2017.

“Please take note of the following issues: re-sitters are to register for the BECE for private candidates; the registration fee per candidate is GHS75 and applicable to candidate in private junior high schools. Government will absorb the registration fees for candidates in the public junior high schools.”

Reacting to this in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM on Monday, 13 November, Mr Acheampong said: “It is a good thing, it is a good intervention by the government.

“Some students in the past have not been able to write the exams due to the lack of money, and, so, this is a good thing. Any intervention by the government to ensure that students benefit from the educational system in Ghana in spite of the financial status of their parents, we at GNAT support it.”

He, however, said: “But the government must be clear on the registration process. Are we doing online registration or what, because everything is going paperless?