Asesewa (Eastern Region) 26 May '99

Out of 1,800 students who sat for the 1998 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Manya Krobo district, only seven candidates had aggregate six.

About 200,000 candidates had between aggregates eight and ten while aggregates obtained by the rest of the candidates made it difficult for them to enter senior secondary schools.

The district director of education, Mr Martin Awuye who disclosed this said the situation made it difficult for headmasters of senior secondary schools in the district to select the required number of students to fill vacancies in their schools.

He was speaking at the exhibition and award ceremony organised by the PLAN International, a non-governmental organisation, working in the Upper Manya area of the district, for primary school pupils selected from 15 schools who participated in an essay competition.

The competition based on the organisation's "child-to-child" concept, aimed at testing the minds of the pupils on their understanding of basic health issues in their daily lives.

Mr Awuye said, last year, only five candidates had aggregate six out of the 1000 students who were presented for the examination.

He commended PLAN International for the good work being done to improve the intellect of the pupils and said the essay, the art and craft work had sharpened the minds of the pupils and would help raise their academic performance.