It’s punishable by law to aid BECE candidates in malpractices - Bono Minister

Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister on Monday warned Basic School heads and teachers to resist the temptation of assisting candidates writing the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the region.

Madam Owusu-Banahene emphasised offenders, either a teacher or school head caught in an attempt to assist candidates to answer examination questions, would be prosecuted because examination malpractices were serious offences under the Ghana Education Service protocols punishable by law.

She added it was also an offence for parents to visit the examination centres and asked security agencies engaged to ensure law and order, not to allow such practices for the candidates to have enough concentration to do independent work. 

Nonetheless, the Regional Minister entreated supervisors and invigilators to refrain from attitudes and behaviours that would scare the candidates. 

Madam Owusu-Banahene gave the warning when she visited some examination centres in the Sunyani Municipality to inspire the candidates, and advised them not to panic, saying they were being tested on what they had already learned in school. 

She told the candidates to revise their notes and take the BECE seriously because the examination would determine the success of their academic career. 

“The BECE remains crucial to determine your academic success and life career,” she stated and advised them to refrain from hiding foreign materials and taking them to the examination halls, saying such behaviour would lead to the cancellation of the papers or results and thereby truncate their education. 

Madam Owusu-Banahene told the candidates the government, their parents and their guardians were proud of them and therefore encouraged them to work hard and pass the examination well to enable them to benefit from the Free Senior High School programme. 

She praised the candidates and inspired them to have confidence in themselves in answering the examination questions.