Cape Coast, April 19, GNA - Thirty out of a total of 2,715 candidates registered to sit this years Basic Education Certificate Examinations at five centres in the Cape Coast Municipality failed to turn up for the opening English Language paper on Monday.

When the Ghana News Agency went round the centres at 1000 hours all the candidates at the five of the six centres visited, were busily writing the English Language paper, with the supervisors saying that they were satisfied with their conduct so far.

At the St. Augustine's College Centre, nine of the 586 candidates failed to turn up, while eight of the 472 candidates registered to sit at the Wesley Girls High School centre also failed to turn up. Mr Dan Atakorah, Supervisor, told the GNA that no official reason had been given for their absence.

At the Mfantsipim School Centre, the Invigilating Supervisor, Mr Jonathan Blankson, said a total of 367 have been registered to sit there but that six of them, three boys and three girls were absent. He said the boys, were reported to have left their schools without any explanation before the onset of the exams, while one of the girls had travelled outside the country, one was ill, while no reason had been given for the third girl's absence.

At the Holy Child School Centre, where 343 candidates were registered to sit, the Supervisor, Mr Lawrence Addi, said four candidates were absent, but could not immediately tell why. Of the 542 expected to sit at the Adisadel College Centre, three of the candidates all girls, had failed to turn up and the supervisor, Mr George Ahenkorah, said they had been reported ill.

Later in an interview, the Central Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service, Mrs Justina Torjagbo, told the GNA that attendance was very good, as there were only a few absentees, and that "everything was going on smoothly."

She could however, not immediately tell how many candidates were writing the examinations in the region, however, the figure for candidates nationwide, was said to be 278,234.