Schools rejecting pupils for good grades at BECE

By A.B. Kafui Kanyi, GNA
Ho, June 27, GNA - Some public and private basic schools in the Volta Region have resorted to the sieving of pupils for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) towards maintaining a 100 per cent pass record.

The schools now register only pupils perceived to be of average academic performance and above as their candidates and refer the pupils perceived to be below that standard to community schools or less popular schools.

Investigations by the Ghana News Agency revealed that some of the pupils who could not be registered by the community schools for the examination were left to their fate, with a few of them dropping out of school at that level.

About 30 pupils of the Kabore School Complex in Ho, were registered to write this year's BECE with a basic school at Akome in the Ho West District and at Private School in Ho.

Mr Kodzo Afake, the Headmaster of the School, who confirmed the practice to the GNA, said they did not meet the standard.

He declined to give detailed information on the policy because he said was not permitted by the Ghana Education Service to grant interviews.

A parent of a pupil at Kabore, who was registered outside the School, said it was unfair for the child to spend 11 years in Kabore, to be registered with a different school for supposedly not meeting a standard.

Checks by the Ghana News Agency revealed that many other schools in the Municipality screened and registered their pupils outside the schools.

Some of the pupils were registered with schools in Adaklu, Abutia, Ziope and Sokode.

Mrs Vida Aku Sika Tete Dzobo, a retired Educationist, said the practice was 'a cruel damage to the image and identity of children,' and appealed to the Ghana Education Service to intervene and seek the interest and welfare of all children.

She said children had different talents and must be helped to identify and develop them and not condemned for being slow learners at the basic level.

Mr Felix Ovulley, the Secretary of the Volta Regional Parent Teacher Association (PTA), told the GNA that the situation cut across the Region and said it was wrong for the schools to 'pick some children and leave others out'.

He said the schools were to prepare the children and not to 'push them away.'

Mr Forgive Agoha, the Regional Public Relations Officer, GES, said the Directorate was not aware of that practice and that it was against GES' policy.

Some teachers told the GNA that the yearly grading of basic schools on BECE performance necessitated the sieving of the children.

They said in some instances, some teachers and headmasters were transferred for poor performance at the BECE in the Region.

GNA