Ablakwa contradicts GES officials over BECE re-write policy

Deputy Education Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says the Ministry has a policy that allows pupils who fail in their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to re-write when they fail to qualify to for placement into Senior High and Technical schools.

“...all those who fail you have an opportunity to repeat and write the BECE again, and that is why this year we have 500 students repeating to write the BECE again.’’

A total of 182, 000 candidates who sat for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) did not pass the core subjects and, therefore could not be placed in any of the public Senior High Schools in the country.

According a Deputy Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Charles Aheto Tsegah there is no progression after Junior High School which is why the GES does not have any policy for that.

“There is no progression after JHS that is why JHS is considered terminal it is not progression so you have a choice at that point because the system creates a situation here people do not necessary progress at that point,” he added.

Asked about the possibility of a policy which will allow pupils who fail to qualify for the Senior High and Technical school placement to re-write for better grades, Mr. Aheto-Tsegah said “this a consideration that is coming up now and I think that it is a worthy consideration because, if people want to go to secondary school and the only way they can go is to pass Maths or English then it is important that we find ways and means to get them to get the Maths and English or to write; it so it is worth considering. And I believe that we can look at the pros and cons of it and see how we can progress through that.”

However the contrary to the GES official’s position, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu said ‘’there is no examination system anywhere in the world where there is 100% pass mark and if students fail in an examination you do not just look at those who are failing and say there is a systemic crisis.’’

He said some parents and children do not take advantage of the re-write system. “...education is not a race, the fact that you re-write does not mean you have failed.’’

The Minister also said anybody who wants to re-write BECE have to go back to school for a year in other to have a continuous assessment.

He also stated that the BECE re-write policy has been in place for more than ten years.

Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa said the assertion by the general public that the about 50% of pupils who failed their basic education exam will be thrown onto the streets is false.

‘’What I am simply saying is that it is too early to draw conclusion that we throwing hundreds of thousands of students onto the street...’’