Accra, Aug. 31, GNA - The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Thursday announced the release of results of the 2006 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) and said the entire results of 61 candidates had been cancelled.

A statement signed by Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, Senior Public Affairs Manager, said this included 53 unqualified candidates who were registered by heads of 15 schools.

"The candidates were First and Second year students of Junior Secondary Schools and were not qualified to take the examination as they spent less than nine years required at the basic school level," it said. The affected schools are Shiayennoh JSS; Achimota; Start of Wisdom International JSS, Kadjebi; Botokrom D/C JSS; Jinijini Presbyterian JSS; Jinijini R/C JSS; Usumaniya Islamic JSS, Berekum; AME Zion JSS; Winneba and Elmina Methodist "A" JSS.

The rest are Bando Islamic JSS, Abura Aboase; Saltpond AME Zion JSS, Saltpond; Samen Preparatory JSS; Mankesim D/A "A" JSS; Essuahyia D/A JSS and Tweredua Methodist JSS Odoben.

The statement said 790 candidates had their subject results cancelled for their involvement in various examination irregularities such as bringing into the examination hall foreign material, tearing of parts of their question paper and answer booklets and collusion. WAEC said out of a total of 308,379 candidates who sat for the examination, 190,921, representing 62 per cent, had aggregate six to 30.

Aggregate 30 is the cut-off point for selection of candidates into various programmes in Senior Secondary Schools and Technical Institutions. The results have been dispatched to the schools through the District Directors of Education but candidates can access their results online. The scores of candidates have also been forwarded to the Ghana Education Service for use in the Computerised School Selection and Placement Programme.