Over 260,00 sit basic school examination

A total of 264,956 candidates will on 22 April 2002 begin writing this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The candidates are made up of 144,997 boys and 119,956 girls from 6,795 schools.

The examination, which ends on 26 April 2002, will be held at 958 centres throughout the country and will be manned by 833 supervisors and 9,300 invigilators. A press release issued by the Ministry of Education and signed by Miss Christine Churcher, the Minister of State in-charge of Primary, Secondary and Girl-child Education and titled “A word of encouragement a need for caution” drew attention to the significance of the BECE in the education reform programme.

It also said that the BECE results decide which of the graduands pursue courses such as Science, Vocational, Technical, Business, General Arts, Home Economics at the secondary school level. The release said the extent of preparation the children are put through is, therefore, a very important factor and said, “I wish to earnestly appeal to the major stakeholders – parents/guardians, teachers and the children – to make it their focus to sail through the BECE with flying colours.”

“For me, no child, however, deprived or handicapped, is useless and incapable of unearthing his/her talent, if given the right motivation and attention,” the release said. It also appealed to parents/guardians to show in all sincerely true parental care and affection to their children billed to take this year’s BECE and “free them from the many domestic chores which tend to deny these children he much needed time to study or revise adequately for the assignment before the examination.”

The release regretted that in many homes, examination candidates are subjected to long hours of hawking in the night and energy-sapping chores, which leave them tired the next day and urged for those chores to be minimised between now and the duration of the BECE.

“To our hardworking teachers, the joy of embracing successful students should serve as a morale-booster to goad us on to put in the extra effort to help these children with their studies. No monetary reward can compensate a teacher better than a sincere, “Thank You” from a successful student,” it said.

To the examination candidates, the release said, “I wish to remind you that it is through hard-work and faith in God that successful men and women hold high and responsible positions today.”

“Spend your time on your books and studies, hold small study groups, be prayerful. Do not fall victim to conmen or opportunities who have nothing to offer you”, it said. “We have all passed through this stage of life. Hard-work, commitment and the desire and will power to succeed as responsible adults saw us through. You will also make it,” the release added.