The Ghana Education Service (GES) has clarified its stance on the purported cancellation of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for Junior High School students in the country.
While GES Director General, Dr. Eric Nkansah acknowledged that changes to the educational curriculum will change the nature and form of the BECE, he denied reports that the examination will be eliminated altogether.
The GES has been gradually transitioning from the objectives-based curriculum to a standards-based curriculum. Under this new system, the BECE will still be administered, but the nature and form of the examination may change.
Dr. Nkansah emphasized the importance of communicating this distinction, stating, “Please don’t communicate that we are not writing BECE.”
However, Dr. Prince Hamid Armah, the executive secretary of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) has called for the end of the BECE system and the formation of a new examination to replace it.
In an interview with Accra-based Starr FM, Dr. Armah asserted that the BECE is not up to the standard of the country’s educational system and advocated for a new approach to testing the quality of teaching.
The possible cancellation of the BECE has been a subject of debate in Ghana over the years, with Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah suggesting the cancellation of the examination in September 2017. The government, however, remains committed to making the basic education system automatic for JHS students.
As the GES continues to overhaul the education curriculum, the administration of the BECE may adapt to reflect these changes. For now, however, the examination remains an integral part of the country’s education system, allowing JHS students to transition to senior high school as part of their academic journey.