This year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for final year Junior High School (JHS) students has begun nationwide with 376, 859 candidates from 11,164 public and private Junior High Schools taking part.

They are made up of 203,394 boys and 173,465 girls, with 1,339 centres and would be supervised by 13,212 invigilators.

The candidates are expected to write papers in English Language, Social Studies, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Basic Design and Technology, Religious and Moral Education, Ghanaian Language, French (Optional) and Information and Communication Technology, for the six-day examination period which began nation-wide on Monday, April 16.

Mr Franklyn Fenuku, Supervisor-in-Chief of Mamprobi Roman Catholic Centre, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said the first paper, English Language Paper One started at exactly 0900 with all invigilators present.

He said about 473 students from 10 schools were expected to write the examinations at the centre. They include Mamprobi R.C. JHS, Nanka Bruce JHS, 3RD Preparatory JHS,Rising Star Academy, Mamprobi Market 2 JHS, Great Lamptey Mills, Raim Preparatory, Extra ‘O’ JHS and New Hope of Glory JHS.

Mr Fenuku, said the turn out by the candidates was impressive but two students were absent and that security at the centre was strengthened to prevent candidates from engaging in examination malpractices.

“So far the process has been smoothly and the candidates have comported themselves very well, we hope it would be so throughout the rest of the examination period,” he added.

At the AME Zion Church School, Mr Andrews Adams Adjei, Supervisor at the centre, said nine schools with 413 candidates were registered for the examination.

The schools are Dirus Preparatory School, Mamprobi AME Zion 'A' and 'B', Odjo JHS, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Institute, St Mary's JHS, St Charles Preparatory School Mamprobi Sempe 12 and 10 JHS and Darsco Preparatory School.

The situation there was different, as the examination began 10 minutes after the scheduled time due to the late arrival of the question papers, which was attributed to traffic jam.

Mr Adjei said over the years candidates at the centre had comported themselves and it was evident that the trend would continue for them to have a peaceful examination.

Madam Jacqueline Sory, Supervisor at the Boundary Road Cluster of Schools, which served as a centre for some JHS at Adabraka, told the GNA that, more than 1,200 candidates registered from 11 JHS in the area.

The schools include, Boundary Road JHS, Amugi Avenue JHS, Gray Memorial JHS, All Saints Anglican JHS, Khauriyah Islamic JHS, Calvary Methodist 1, Calvary Methodist 2, Liberty Avenue 2, Amuzu Dei, and Adabraka Presbyterian JHS.

Madam Sory, said the centre was secured because it was walled with a gate and was expecting security personnel to be present during the examination.

The GNA interviewed some of the candidates before the examination started and they indicated that they were well prepared because their teachers had helped them through mock examinations and hoped to come out with flying colours.

The examination began at the Accra Academy Examination Centre smoothly with police presence. It comprises of two centres, A and B, with 12 schools participating.

When the GNA visited the centre, at about 0800, the candidates were still studying their notes to adequately prepare for the English Language Paper One and Two to be followed by Social Studies Paper One.

Before the commencement of the English Language Paper One, the candidates were briefed on the rules and regulations governing the writing of the BECE.

Master James Piotras, 14, from Cambridge JHS, who spoke to the GNA, expressed the hope that with all they had learnt, success was assured.

Master Bernard Addo, 16, also from Cambridge JHS, said with the advice given to them by their teachers, they were confident of achieving their targeted grades.

Mr Micheal Abbiw, Teacher in-charge of Cambridge JHS, said the candidates had been adequately prepared based on the assessment conducted by the school.

He said the school management had motivated the candidates and advised them to avoid examination malpractices and also to read the questions well before answering them.

Mr Opoku Agyemang, Supervisor in-Charge of Examinations at Compound “A” said, seven schools registered at the centre with satisfactory turnout and added that in all, 262 candidates were writing the examination.

He said some of the schools included, Aggrey Memorial, Kanda International School, St Paul’s Lutheran School, Hillside School, North Ridge Lyceum and Noree School.

Mr Agyemang said only a candidate from St Paul’s School was absent.

At the Accra Senior High School Examination Centre “B”, Mr Hinson Hermon, Supervisor in-Charge, said seven schools registered at the centre, with a total of 314 candidates.

Some of the schools registered at the centre are Al Waheed, Bethany School, Ring Road East, Kanda AMA, New Nation, St Cecilia, Mount Zion, and John Havard.

Mr Hermon said, unlike the past when the candidates were supplied with pencils from WAEC, this time round, the candidates used their own pencils.

He said a candidate wrote the examination alone in a class with the invigilator, citing medical reasons that prevented the candidate from mixing with the others.

Mr Clifford Dodoo – Amponsah, Supervisor in-charge of Prince of Peace School Examination Centre at Bubiashie, stated that, about 421 candidates were writing the BECE at the centre and they had conducted themselves well without any examination malpractices so far.

He said nine schools registered at the centre; Prince of Peace, Zoe International, St Monica, Bubiashie Datus, Kaneshie North 1, Bubiashie 1, Bubiashie Cable and Wireless, Bubiashie SDA and Children’s World Junior High School.

Mr Dodoo–Amponsah, told the GNA that the examination had been smooth and invigilators were prompt and going about their duties.

He noted that three candidates were absent because they had travelled outside the country.**