Schools can register BECE on-line

The government was paying GH¢14 per candidate as subsidy for each candidate

Schools in Ghana with internet connectivity can now register on-line for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) conducted by the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC).

This follows the introduction of an on-line registration procedure for the BECE last Monday after almost two decades of running the examination in the country.

The head of the Test Administration Department of WAEC, Mr Kweku Nyamekye-Aidoo, who made this known to Daily Graphic, said the on-line registration would be done alongside the old registration procedure (Batch Registration) which involved the registration of candidates in groups on Compact Discs.

He said the aim of the introduction of the on-line procedure was to ensure that core data of the candidates remained intact, thereby preventing the mixing up of candidate's data. He said the Batch Registration was being done alongside the on-line registration to ensure that those who did not have the on line facility could do so, saying that the online registration was done by the schools of candidates and not individuals.

Mr Nyamekye-Aidoo indicated that all the information of candidates who would be writing the examination had to be on-line, and that the council would transfer the information of candidates who were registered through the Batch Registration, on-line.

He said there was no cause for alarm as the council undertook education programmes to educate school authorities on the new registration procedure.

He said information of candidates on-line would be for reading only, and that no one, no matter the access to the password of a school would be able to change any candidate's information.

Mr Nyamekye-Aidoo said it was only at WAEC that a school that wanted to make a change to the bio-data of a candidate could do so.

He, therefore, advised parents and guardians to ensure that whatever information they provided on their children was accurate.

Mr. Nyamekye-Aidoo said “parents and guardians should state clearly how they want the names of their children spelt, in which order and provide their accurate date of birth”.

On the cost of registration per candidate, he said, the examination fee was GH¢6 as the government was paying GH¢14 per candidate as subsidy for each candidate, adding that schools must adhere strictly to the registration fee of GH¢6 and not add anything.

The Director of Basic Education Division of the GES, Mr Stephen Adu, urged heads of basic schools to spell out any additional fee for the registration of candidates and not lump all the fees as registration fees. He said there should be a breakdown of any fee, such as cost of photographs and extra tuition or extra mock examination should be made clear to parents. He added that such additional fees should be approved by a district education director.

Mr Adu said schools must make parents aware of the money (GH¢14) government was paying for each candidate since the original fee of the examination was GH¢20.

“Schools, be they public or private must give a clear break down of fees they are charging for the examination and not lump the registration fee of GH¢6 with other fees and term them as BECE examination fee,” he said.