Tamale, April 11, GNA - A total of 27,884 candidates made up of 17,068 males and 10,816 females in the Northern Region are sitting for this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 69 examination centres.

A total of 106 officials made up of 56 supervisors, 50 assistants and 583 invigilators are conducting and monitoring the examinations. Madam Elizabeth De-Souza, Regional Director of Education made this known when he and Mr Sam Nasamu Asabigi, Deputy Northern Regional Minister went round some of the examination centre's in the Tamale Metropolis on Monday to inspect the progress of the exercise. At the centre's the Minister and the Director visited, the supervisors said they had received all the examination materials and that the exercise was going on smoothly.

At the Ghana High Senior Secondary examination centres 93C B" and C A" five candidates were absent but the examination officials could not give reasons for their non appearance.

At the Kalpohin Senior High School examination centre one student who was brought from the hospital to write the English paper had to be rushed back to the hospital because he was vomiting.

Addressing some female candidates at the Ghana Senior High School, Mr Asabigi impressed upon them on the need to take the examination seriously so that they would not only pass to enter the senior high schools but progress to higher institutions. He told them not to fear mathematics and science subjects since they were the pivots on which modern technology was built on and without which no nation could progress.

Most of the candidates the GNA spoke to express optimism that they would perform well saying that the exams were not as difficult as they expected.

Master Adam Saddique said despite the teachers strike over the Single Spine Salary Structure, he had adequately prepare for the exams as his teachers had made ample time to teach he and his colleagues to cover the syllabus.