Pregnant candidates should not boycott BECE – GES

Ms. Mary Owusu-Achiaw, Ashanti Regional Director of Education, has entreated pregnant female candidates writing this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) not to boycott the examinations.

“Pregnancy should not be the basis for female students absenting themselves from the on-going exams. I encourage all candidates who find themselves in such a situation to take their papers for their own good”, she advised.

Ms. Owusu-Achiaw was speaking at a meeting of the chiefs and people of Mensonso near New Edubiase in the Adansi-South District of the Ashanti Region, after she toured some centres to inspect how the BECE which commenced on Monday was being conducted.

She was accompanied by the Regional Minister, Mr. Peter Anarfi Mensah, and the District Chief Executive, Mr. Benjamin Anhwere.

The Education Director who had earlier toured the Mensonso D/A Basic School, was worried at the refusal of a pregnant female candidate to take the first two papers, Religious and Moral Education (RME) and English.

She also visited the Akrofuom Senior High Technical School Centre where three pregnant female students out of the 263 registered candidates had reported to take their papers.

Four other male candidates out of the total 253 candidates sitting for the BECE at the centre had also absented themselves to engage in illegal small-scale mining (Galamsey).

Ms. Owusu-Achiaw urged parents as well as the school authorities of pregnant female candidates to encourage them to take their papers.

Mr. Anarfi Mensah advised the chiefs and people of Mensonso to take proactive measures to ensure that children of school-going age do not engage in “galamsey”.