Sacking BECE candidates over arrears unlawful – GES

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has warned heads of institutions not to prevent any candidate in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) from taking their papers.

The PRO of the GES, Rev Jonathan Bettey, explained that heads should not sack students for owing fees.

“Information has gone to our heads of institutions against preventing anybody from writing exams in this country. If a candidate owes, he should not be prevented from writing the exams,” he told Class FM’s Moro Awudu on Monday, June 5.

According to him, the candidate should be allowed to partake in the examination and the district education office informed so that the candidate is made to pay before taking his results after the exam.

Rev Bettey added that pregnant students should also be allowed to write the examination if the candidate is healthy enough to sit for the paper.

A total of 468,053 candidates will commence writing of the exams in 1,702 examination centres across the nation on Monday, June 5.

This represents an increase of 7,040 candidates over last year’s number of 461,013.

The examination, which ends on Friday 9th June, is expected to be held amidst tight security to prevent examination malpractices.