Regional News of Monday, 1 November 2010

Source: GNA

Teachers briefed on BECE registration procedure for 2011

Nkoranza (B/A), Oct. 31, GNA - Madam Philippa Banson, Nkoranza District Director of Education has cautioned Heads of Junior High Schools (JHS), not to allow candidates of other schools to write the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in their schools. She said the Ghana Education Service (GES) 93does not permit such negative practice and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) will not hesitate to sanction any school which does so". Madam Banson was addressing about 57 heads of public and private (JHS) in Nkoranza South and North districts at Nkoranza. The meeting was aimed at briefing the heads about the registration procedures for the 2011 BECE, to enable them to submit their registration forms on schedule the to WAEC office. Madam Banson alleged that some headmasters of some private schools registered only their best candidates for the BECE and then condoned with heads of some public JHS to register their rejected candidates.

The District Director described the practice as illegal and reiterated that heads caught involved in it would not be spared. The heads were advised to refrain from repeating candidates in form three and also refusing to register them for their final-year examination, since such decisions was against the regulations of the GES.

Madam Banson explained that repetition of students are only permitted when the parents of the children agree with the teachers concerned and that teachers should not force their poor students to repeat their classes. She stressed the need for head teachers to ensure effective supervision in their schools, by encouraging and supporting their teachers to work hard for a better performance. Mr John Kofi Amoah, Nkoranza District Examination Officer disclosed that five JHS scored zero percent in this year's BECE. Mr Amoah named the school communities as Senya, Dromankuma, Abuontam, Kyeradeso and Akuma JHS's. Meanwhile, the District Directorate of Education is expected to meet stakeholders of the schools that performed poorly in the examinations and map out strategies for improvement.