The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says it will cancel the registration of unqualified Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates.

According to the Council, its attention had been drawn to some parents moving their wards in Basic Stage Six, JHS 1, 2, and 3 in private schools to public schools to register for the examination and said it would cancel them.

John K. Kapi, Head of Public Affairs, WAEC, at a press briefing in Accra, said the practice was against the Ghana Education Service and WAEC regulations.

He said: “Council is investigating a number of such cases and the registration of such candidates would be annulled.”

“Parents are urged not to traumatise their wards by such actions,” he cautioned.

Kapi said the BECE for schools and private candidates, would be administered from Monday, August 7 to Friday, August 11, 2023, across the country.

“A total number of 600,714 candidates, comprising 300,323 males and 300,391 females from 18,993 participating schools entered for the school examination,” he added.

Kapi said the number of candidates that registered for this year’s BECE was 8.8 per cent higher than the year 2022 entry figure of 552,276.

He said with regard to the BECE for private candidates, a total entry figure of 1,743 candidates was recorded.

“This is made up of 889 males and 854 females. This year’s figure is 5.4 per cent higher than the entry figure of 1,132 for 2022.”

He attributed the increase in the number of candidates to an increase in enrollment in various schools across the country.

Kapi said the BECE for school candidates would be held at 2,137 examination centres across the country, while 15 centres mainly in regional capitals would be used for the BECE for private candidates.