A 35-year-old orange seller is among the 89 candidates taking part in the on-going maiden Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) re-sit at the Adisadel College centre in Cape Coast.

Madam Mary Mensah, a resident at Abakrampa in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District, who completed Junior High School, 19 years ago, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview after her first paper that, it has been her dream to continue her education at the Senior High School.

Madam Mensah, mother of three, two of whom are in primary school class six, and the youngest in class three, said it was a great opportunity for her to go back to school after several years at home, in order to fulfil her dream of working in the public sector.

She underscored the importance of education in human life, and believed it would help her get an employment in a government institution.

“I’m very happy for the opportunity, and I will make good use of it to go back to school, because I want to do government work.”

Also among the candidates is a 27-year-old seamstress from Elmina in the Komenda-Edina- Eguafo- Abrem Municipality, who had stayed home for 11 years since she wrote her first BECE.

According to the lady who preferred to be anonymous, she gave birth after her first examination, and decided to learn sewing, but has now decided to go back to school to enhance her fashion design skills.

Meanwhile, nine out of 89 candidates who registered for the examinations, did not show up on the first day, but Mr. Robert Hagan, Examination Supervisor at the centre, could not ascertain reasons for their absence.

The examinations are expected to last for one week, with candidates writing English Language and Information Communication Technology (ICT) on the first day.

The first paper started an hour late due to the late arrival of logistics from the headquarters to the centre, while five candidates had problems with their index numbers, but the issue was resolved and they were allowed to write.

Sixteen former pupils of Destiny Preparatory School at Anomabo who wrote their BECE in 2012 but performed poorly, are also among the candidates writing the on-going examination.

In an interview with one of their teachers, the school decided to register the students for the examinations in order to help them get better grades to further their education.