Reducing BECE subjects won’t jeorpardise learning quality — Kofi Asare
The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, has dismissed concerns that reducing the number of subjects written by Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates would lower the quality of learning.
The education advocate has been pushing for reforms to the BECE structure, arguing that the examination has largely become a placement mechanism following the introduction of the Free Senior High School policy.
His proposal to reduce the number of examinable subjects has, however, generated criticism from some stakeholders who fear it could weaken educational standards.
In a social media post on Thursday, May 7, Mr Asare asserted that such concerns are not backed by evidence.
“Concerns that reducing the subject load will reduce the quality of learning, though much appreciated, do not appear supported with evidence,” he stated.
According to him, the role of the BECE has significantly changed since the introduction of Free SHS in 2017, with nearly all candidates now gaining access to secondary education.
He explained that the examination no longer serves primarily as a screening tool for progression into secondary school, but rather as a basis for school placement.
“This means BECE results no longer primarily determine whether a student proceeds to secondary, but rather which school they are placed in,” he noted.
The education advocate argued that under the current system, it is unnecessary for candidates to sit for 10 subjects over a five-day period for what is essentially a placement exercise.
He proposed a more focused model that would retain Mathematics, English and Science as standalone subjects while merging the remaining areas into a General Paper.
According to him, the proposal would reduce examination stress on students, improve efficiency and potentially cut examination costs by up to 40 percent.
The Eduwatch Executive Director further pointed to international examples, including Brazil, Argentina, England and South Africa, where free secondary education systems operate without a BECE-class examination at the lower secondary level.