We’re unaware of over 200 candidates not writing BECE – GES

It's alleged a Chief at Bindi South in the Northern Region prevented over 200 students from writing.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) is unaware that at least 200 candidates sitting for this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) failed to sit for the exams on Monday, the PRO of the Service has stated.

The candidates from four communities at Bindi South in the Bunpkurugu-Yunyoo District of the Northern region failed to sit the exams Monday June 5, 2017 following a misunderstanding between chiefs and regional education authorities over location of examinations centres.

“We were not informed. We have not received any information to whatever happened there until yesterday evening that GBC announced the situation over there,” Rev. Jonathan Betteh disclosed Tuesday June 6, 2017 on Morning Starr. “So, we are waiting patiently for the regional director to send us information as to what to do or the necessary steps to be taken,” he added.

The candidates; 70 from Kanbatiak Junior High School, Guanging 51, Gbingbamong 79 and 18 Yenupinii were prevented from traveling to Gbankoni primary school center to write the exams by the Chief of Kanbatiak and some residents after education authorities failed to provide a center closer to the communities despite initial pledges.

Narrating the incident to Starr News, a staff at the district education directorate Kolan Bentuaka said the chief of Kanbatiak, largest community in the area, complained about troubles candidates in the area go through every year to write the exams and pleaded for a closer center.

According to him, an agreement was reached between the chief and education authorities in the region for the new center, only for the center to be sent to the Gbankoni community angering the chief and some parents who stopped the candidates from traveling to the new center with code 81410 for the exams.

The chief did not understand why the center was given to the Gbankoni community instead of Kanbatiak which has bigger number of students writing the exam with many infrastructures.

About 40, 406 candidates are writing the Basic Education Certificate Examination in the region comprising 22, 174 males and 18, 832 females.

It is a common phenomenon in the region to see candidates trekking long distances from communities to write exams.