Don't admit BECE candidates from other schools - Director

Nkoranza (B/A), Nov. 1, GNA - Madam Philippa Banson, Nkoranza District Director of Education, has cautioned heads of Junior High Schools (JHS) against admitting candidates from other schools to write the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

She said the Ghana Education Service (GES) "does not permit such negative practice and West African Examination Council (WAEC) will not hesitate to sanction any school involved in it".

Madam Banson was addressing about 57 headmasters of public and private JHSs in Nkoranza South and North districts at Nkoranza. The meeting was aimed at briefing the heads about the registration procedures for the 2011 BECE so they would work on their registration forms and submit them on schedule to WAEC.

Madam Banson alleged that headmasters of some private schools registered only their best candidates for the BECE and then condoned with heads of some public JHSs to register their rejected candidates so as to avoid the wrath of the parents of such students. The District Director described the practice as illegal and reiterated that headmasters caught involved in such an act would not be spared.

Headmasters are advised not to repeat candidates in the final year (form three) because it is against the GES regulations. Madam Banson explained that repetition of students are only permitted when the parents of the children agree with the teachers concerned and that teachers should not force their poor students to repeat their classes.

She stressed the need for head teachers and headmasters to ensure effective supervision in their schools by encouraging and supporting their teachers to work hard to set better performance standards. Mr John Kofi Amoah, Nkoranza District Examination Officer announced that five JHSs scored zero percent at this year's BECE. Mr Amoah named the school in communities such as Senya, Dromankuma, Abuontam, Kyeradeso and Akuma.

Meanwhile, the District Directorate of Education is to meet the stakeholders of those schools to map out strategies for improvement.