83,533 Students Write BECE In Ashanti

Students Writing their Examination at Anglican Senior High School yesterday

A TOTAL of 83,533 candidates in the Ashanti Region began their Basic Education Certification Examinations (BECE) on Monday June 16, 2014, with the strong expectation of obtaining brilliant grades to further their education.

Candidates will write two papers each day until Friday June 20, 2014. Their performance in the examinations will determine their admission into the various second-cycle institutions in the country.

The Ashanti Region has the highest number of candidates, registering 43,326 males and 40,533 females, this year.

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, the Regional Director of Education, Kofi Sarfo Kantanka, said the examinations commenced smoothly at 9:00am. 'We are happy about what we have seen so far,' he said.

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) registered a total of 21,935 candidates. According to Mr Kantanka, this year, female registrants totalled 30,529, outnumbering their male counterparts, who totalled 30,404.

The surprising female turnout, according to Mr Kantanka, is likely to be the result of an intervention by the Regional Directorate of Education which offered encouragement and support to females.

Six candidates were absent from three testing centres in Kumasi during Monday morning's session. Mr Kantanka was unable to provide reasons for the students' absence but said data collection from all KMA test centres was ongoing.

At the Anglican Senior High School in Kumasi, the General Coordinator for Examinations, Paul Ayamba, oversaw the successful administration of the English paper yesterday morning.

The Anglican Senior High School serves as the examination centre for 15 Kumasi Junior High Schools (JHS).

At the completion of the first paper, a group of candidates from St. Paul's Roman Catholic JHS who are writing their papers at the Anglican SHS told DAILY GUIDE they felt satisfied with their performance.

The students expressed the difficulty of the questions, but said they were well prepared. According to the students, the strict supervision by the examination conductors created a serious and quiet atmosphere at the test centre.

Mr. Ayamba confirmed that, stressing the importance of encouraging purely individual work among the candidates.

'We are keeping standards,' he said.
The Religious and Moral Studies paper was written Monday afternoon with the candidates scheduled to return at 9:00 am Tuesday morning.

FROM Taylor Hanigosky, Kumasi