Some 43 inmates at the Ho Central Prison in the Volta Region are set to sit for this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and West Africa Schools Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The initiative is under the Ghana Prisons Service Education Programme, which seeks to give opportunities to inmates who want to pursue their academic endeavours while in prison.

Currently, there are classes for primary, junior high, and senior high school levels.

Volta Regional Commander of Prisons and the Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP), Raphael Tuekpe, explained that "the primary class is for those who've not been to school at all, the junior high school class is for those who've been to school to a certain level, and we have those who are in for the SHS programme. We are preparing them to write the exams (WASSCE and BECE)".

"Academically, they are picking up and they are doing well, so we hope to get 100 percent."

Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP), Ledi Tuekpe, in charge of the education programme, is among the tutors facilitating the programme, and according to him, he is a trained teacher.

He revealed that some of the inmates who are professional teachers are also assisting in teaching some of the subjects.

"Those who cannot even read and write are now reading and writing," he stated.

On Thursday, February 29, 2024, the Ho central parliamentary candidate on the ticket of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Edem Kpotosu, visited the prisons and donated textbooks and exercise books to the facility.

Items such as pens, pencils, erasers, and markers were included in the items donated by the MP hopeful.

The PC said, as an educationist, he understands the programme, hence his decision to contribute to support the course.

He believes the inmates, when educated, will come out to be responsible members of society and will not be encouraged to live their previous lives.

Edem said his contribution will have an impact on the inmates' zeal to be educated, and he promises to always come to their aid when the need arises.