Accra, March 3, GNA- Activities at Osu Oxford Street, notably operations of cyber cafes, cinema houses and night trading have been blamed for the poor performance of pupils during Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). "The BECE results over the years have not been impressive due to the activities at Oxford Street", Mrs Stella Abbey, Osudoku Educational Circu= it Supervisor has observed.

Mrs Abbey was contributing to a programme organised by Insight Foundation, a child centred NGO, to educate BECE pupils in the area on how to prepare well for the examination on Thursday.

She bemoaned instances where appeals to politicians, educationists and opinion leaders to find solution to the problem had proved futile. "Several appeals to politicians, educationists and opinion leaders i= n the area to find a solution to this problem has proved futile," she noted= .. Mrs Abbey appealed to government and cooperate entities to help in the rehabilitation of dilapidated schools in the circuit to improve academic work.

She urged the pupils to take the mentoring programme serious to adequately prepare for the 2011 BECE slated for April.

Mrs Abbey expressed appreciation to Insight Foundation for the programme, the second in a series to be organised for the circuit. Mrs Thomasia Brown, Executive Secretary of Insight Foundation, attributed the slight improvement in the 2010 BECE results for the circuit to the mentoring programme organised for the pupils last year.

"The first edition of this programme evidently impacted positively o= n the results of pupils who participated in it. As against 55 per cent passes for 2008/2009 academic year, 2010 results recorded an improvement of 15 per cent," she explained. Mrs Brown noted that since the Foundation was established in 2008, it had provided health and educational assistance to women and children in deprived areas to improve their living standards. She said examinations would continue to play an important role in thei= r education hence the need to adequately prepare them.

Mrs Brown attributed the poor performance of pupils and their involvement in other social vices to lack of counselling and mentoring prio= r to examinations. "Insight Foundation hopes to help people improve performances, build their confidence, promote healthy lifestyle and provide creative leadership training," she added. Mrs Brown said the annual mentoring programme would be extended to other Regions for the benefit of other pupils. She expressed appreciation to NDK Financial Services for its assistanc= e to the Foundation.

Professor Nii Noi Dowuona of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ghana, urged the pupils to take their studies serious to become responsible citizens in future. He advised them to heed to the counsel of their parents and teachers t= o stay out of trouble.