Re-examine BECE resit policy.

By: Joe Effah-Nkyi

It is not by chance or mistake that countries located within the global northern hemisphere and that of the Asiatic regions continue to chalk successes in all sphere of endeavours. Talk about industry, business, environmental issues, health, but more specifically education. Such feats have become reality due to the incontrovertible fact that these jurisdictions perceive education as the key component that could extricate its entire populace from vicious cycle of poverty which, consequently, could propel the much needed economic as well as developmental growth in all perspective.

Apparently, these accomplishments manifested because prudent, efficient and sustainable policies were formulated to the optimum, policies that were human centered and really thought outside- the- box to deal with situations in the long possible term.

Without doubt, some portion of the Ghanaian populace has received with mixed feelings the new educational policy making it a possibility for BECE candidates the opportunity to resit in the event of non-performance. Obviously, on the surface the policy seems faultless as well as refreshing, there are still greater expectations. Our expectations were that once a JSS pupil succeeded in going through the entire 3 year programme, there should not be the need to categorize some as failure and for that matter needed to stay idle awaiting resit which could take a couple of years depending on individuals capability.

Because of the vulnerability of this category of pupils, some of us are of the view that government educational policy geared towards this direction are expected to proffer holistic or wholesale placement of the pupils in secondary/technical schools. Of course, one may not be able to secure his or her preferred choice of school; it becomes the mandate of the government to guarantee a placement to every JSS graduate willing to proceed on the educational ladder, come what may. There is the apprehension that resit policy at this level could in the long term woefully affect children predominantly located in the rural and distressed communities where it is evident that most schools despicably operated under trees with its attendant pervasive poverty. Absolutely, streetism as a social vice is another evil that cannot be ruled out.

In order to emphasize on the above, let us analyze the following scenario. Assuming BECE results are released and the statistics indicate that an approximate number of say 10,000 pupils could not finally make the score for entry to secondary schools or whatever. Subsequently, supposing these unfortunate pupils are put together and well-schooled to write the WASSSCE after the normal 3 year estimated time frame; could it be supposed that there would still be definite 100% failure rate? I do not think this would ever be the case. Factually, the probability that greater percentage of the pupils could make it to access tertiary education cannot be overemphasized. One thing we as a nation should not look sight of is the fact that in the field of education some students could be high fliers compared to some others who may initially be ‘crawling’ or are slow starters. It all depends sometimes on the individuals’ background and where one may come from.

Reading Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh’s column ‘THINKING ALOUD’ with the caption ‘MAKING MY DAY’ which appeared in the Daily Graphic of 21st November, 2013, i am afraid it did not make my day at all. In the said publication, the celebrated columnist kept extolling the virtues of Hon. Dep. Minister of Education for pushing through such educational policy. This for me was not well thought of. Can’t the leaders of this country discern the plethora of challenges confronting our educational sector? Nobody is demonizing a policy that provides prudent opportunity for students to attempt the ‘second world war’ in the event of examination failure.

The argument being raised is that these pupils are so innocent, susceptible, feeble and do not even visualize what lay ahead. At their level and age, resit could be very demoralizing and not all could muster the needed courage to re-write. Arguably, there is also the fee factor that could present a challenge to many a family and subsequently affect the psyche of the very pupils we seemed to make interventions. Their gullibility should be the interest of all before policies concerning them are even initiated else the country stands to destroy potential human resource including future virtuous leaders.

It must be stated that, Globalization in its holistic perspective has come to alter man’s social norms, i.e. the way conventionally things are perceived and executed including man’s thinking and behavior. As such decisions taken should be so strategic, more specifically, on issues bothering education which is so crucial for the progression of our beloved sovereignty. Getting juveniles roaming the streets simply because of their inability to excel in BECE would be an indictment on the powers that be and should not be countenance in this 21st century. It is incontrovertible fact that by this policy, greater number of BECE pupils would definitely be left behind without having access to secondary/technical education. This we should expect.

JOE EFFAH-NKYI, (+233 244250922)

P. O. BOX CE12281, TEMA.

E-mail: unistates2000@yahoo.com Gmail: joeeffah58gmail.com