BECE Supervisor pleads additional time for candidates

An Examination Supervisor for the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), Ms Cherie Yayra Kuwornu, has pleaded for additional time for maths and science papers to enable the candidates perform well in the subjects.

Ms Kuwornu of the Saint Bernadette Soubirous School Centre blamed the abysmal performances Ghana continues to record in the two subjects partly on the inability of the candidates to answer the questions within what she described as “insufficient time” allocated for the papers.

Speaking with the Ghana News Agency on Monday, the BECE Supervisor pleaded with the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to review the time and if possible add at least forty-five minutes to the time used for each of those papers.    She explained that the move would help the candidates answer at least seventy per cent of the questions, which would propel them to perform better in the examinations.

Ms Kuwornu who was supervising at the Centre for the second time, said: “every year, some of the candidates cry in the exams hall when the bell rings for the collection of the papers because they could not even answer thirty per cent of the questions”.

She also said some of the candidates usually concede defeat even before the papers were marked “which makes them frustrated and scared when taking the rest of the papers”.

While expressing confidence in security measures championed by government to combat malpractices such as paper leakages, the use of foreign materials at the exams hall among others, she assured that robust measures were in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the examinations.

“Everything is set. We have the police, well trained invigilators and all the necessary materials needed for the smooth conduct of the examinations. This is the second time I am supervision here, we have not recorded any malpractices,” she said.

Master Kumi Yeboah, one of the BECE candidates supported the move, saying “some of our seniors complained that they failed in maths and science because the time was too small for the questions”.

Sandra Korantemaa, who expressed fear over the subjects, said “at least if the time is enough, I can do my best to get a pass mark”.

Ms Appiah however, said she was adequately prepared for the papers and that she would excel in all the papers irrespective of how limited the time would be. “I have studied very well and I can confidently say I would get aggregate seven or better.

About 448 candidates from five basic schools in Accra are writing the BECE at the Centre out of the total of 468,053 candidates nationwide.

GNA

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