50% failure in BECE - TV to blame

Kumasi, Aug. 18, GNA - Dr Kwame Danso, a Lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has attributed 50 per cent of failures in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to increase in most of the students watching television.

He said instead of the students devoting their time to study, they rather wasted their time watching television programmes and failed to read and understand the examination questions.

Dr Danso was speaking a the launch of "Teens' World" Magazine at Grace Baptist Church, Amakom in Kumasi on Sunday.

He expressed concern about the inability of most students from Junior High School to tertiary institutions to be fluent in English Language because they had not cultivated the habit of reading and urged students to read materials that would help build in them good morals. Reverend Mary Pokuaa, Minister in-charge of Teens' Ministry who launched the magazine said, it was to help inculcate the habit of reading and writing in the youth.

She said the annual 40-page magazine also sought to come out with problems facing teenagers that should be addressed by parents, the church, society, government and other stakeholders. Rev. Pokuaa pointed out that 90 per cent of the write ups were done by teenagers.

Rev. Kwame Owusu Agyemang of Calvary Charismatic Baptist Church at Patasi in Kumasi, called on the youth to build their lives on Jesus Christ through making friends with the right people. "Teens' World" magazine has a panorama on Should Christian doctrine be made compulsory in Christian schools, education on health issues, topics on challenges of the 21st Century Teen. The first copy was auctioned at GH¢100.