Tadzewu (V/R), Feb. 13, GNA - The ability of candidates in the Ketu-North District of the Volta Region to make the standard grades in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) is in serious doubt.

Results from the John Gatsi Annual Educational Excellence Award involving the best 54 students from 27 Junior High Schools in the district were dismal with only 7.5 per cent of them making the grade.

A comparative report on last year and this year’s competition indicated that 14 per cent of last year’s candidates made the grade.

The remaining 48 out of the 75 schools in the district did not participate in this year’s competition explaining that their students were not up to the standards required.

The report said given that only 14 per cent of the candidates in last year’s competition attained the pass grade with 15 schools scoring zero per cent pass and 17 candidates scoring between aggregates seven and 15 that year, a worst BECE result should be expected this year.

The candidates were examined in Mathematics, English language Integrated Science and Social Studies by external examiners using the Junior High School syllabus.

The report showed that candidates could not label scientific diagrams.

Only one out of the 54 candidates scored 50 per cent in Mathematics, five passed the English Language with the best candidate scoring 57 per cent as against 79 per cent last year.

A total of nine candidates passed the Integrated Science with 74 per cent as the highest mark, an improvement on 66 per cent last year while 20 candidates passed the Social Studies paper with 71 per cent being the optimal mark.

The report said out of the six pupils selected for awards only four actually made the grade.

“We have come to the conclusion that the 7.5 per cent pass in the competition this year may be a true reflection of what we should expect in the BECE this year,” the report stated.

The document bemoaned the lack of stakeholder interest in education in the area, saying unless the trend was reversed the future of the youth and the development of the area could be in danger.

The six Award winners received certificates and books, while Miss Dora Ahiadzro, a pupil of Bagome Basic School at Dzodze, who was adjudged the best received an additional award as the best female participant getting GH¢200.00.

Famous Adatsievor, a student of Wovenu Technical School received an award for being the best participant alongside three others from sister schools who participated in the competition at the Senior High School level.

Mr Felix Tsevia, District Director of Education admitted that academic standards and performance are not the best in the area and called for collaboration with stakeholders such as the Gatsi Award initiative, parents and pupils to address it.

Mr Gatsi a citizen of the area and lecturer at the Cape Coast University instituted the competition to get stakeholders in the area interested in the improvement of education and help improve performance in the BECE.