Takoradi, April 11, GNA - Five pregnancy cases and four absentees were recorded on Monday during the start of the Basic Education Certificate Examination at five centres in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis.

The Fijai Senior High School accommodating 478 candidates recorded two advanced cases of pregnancies. These would-be students' mothers were busily seen writing their papers when the Ghana News Agency got to the centre at about 1010 hours in the company of the Metropolitan Director of Education, Nana Adjei Imbeah.

The Ghana Secondary Technical School centre, housing about 920 candidates - 422 boys and 446 girls, also had two pregnant students with three absentees.

At the Takoradi Technical Institute with 479 candidates comprising 236 boys and 243 girls, one pregnancy case was recorded who did not turn-up for exams. In all the centres visited with the exception of Takoradi Secondary School centre 93B", the female candidates out-numbered the male candidates.

Nana Imbeah, the Metro Director of Education, said but for the delay in the initial start of the English Language Paper One due to a change in location, the process had been very smooth and prayed for a successful completion of this year's Examination.

This year's BECE, he noted was now six days instead of five with the introduction of Information and Communication Technology. Nana Imbeah said 7,122 candidates comprising 5,477 public and 1,645 private schools were writing the exams in the Metropolis. Out of the figure, 2,666 boys came from public school with 786 from private schools whiles 2,811 girls were from public and 859 girls private.

Mrs Stella Adjei, Regional Basic Schools Director, noted that this year's BECE had witnessed a calm atmosphere.