Education Minister promises infrastructure upgrade during BECE monitoring tour

The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, on Monday, May 4, 2026, toured selected Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) centres in the Sefwi area of the Western North Region, including Boako M/A JHS, Asawinso Senior High School, and Boadi Senior High School.

He encouraged candidates to approach the examination with confidence and integrity while reiterating government’s commitment to improving school infrastructure.

The visit formed part of efforts to monitor the conduct of the examination outside Accra and assess conditions under which candidates were writing their papers.

Addressing candidates at various centres, Iddrisu said the examination was a normal test of knowledge acquired over the past nine years.

“Know that the questions are within your knowledge and experience. It is an assessment of your nine years’ learning, so remain confident and do your best,” he said.

The minister explained that the tour was also to gain firsthand insight into the state of educational infrastructure and the learning environment of students, particularly in areas outside the national capital.

He expressed concern about the condition of some facilities being used as examination centres, describing them as not in the best shape, and assured that government would undertake the necessary renovations to improve them.

At Boako M/A JHS, the minister observed delays in the distribution of examination materials, noting that candidates had not received their question papers on time.

He called for a review of logistics and the transportation of examination papers to centres, stressing the need for immediate reforms to prevent such occurrences in future.

Iddrisu also cautioned candidates against examination malpractice, emphasizing that honesty and integrity were essential values that would shape their future.

He revealed that malpractice affected about 173 candidates in the previous year, leading to the cancellation or withholding of some results, and warned that authorities would not hesitate to sanction offenders.

He further urged invigilators and supervisors to uphold professionalism and ensure an incident-free examination.

The minister announced that government, under an education transformation initiative supported by the World Bank, would construct a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) senior high school at Boako to expand access to skills-based education.

He said the project formed part of plans to establish similar facilities across the country to enhance technical education and equip students with employable skills.

The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, who accompanied the minister, advised candidates to be punctual and adhere strictly to examination rules.

He urged them to report to examination centres at least 30 minutes before the start of each paper and to work independently to ensure their results reflected their true academic ability.

The minister is expected to continue his monitoring exercise at other centres within the Sefwi area.