174,385 students begin WASSSCE throughout the country

The West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSSCE) commenced countrywide on Monday with a total of 174,385 candidates made up of 79,215 girls and 95,170 boys are participating in the exam.

Mr Lee Ocran, Minister of Education, touring some schools, said the examination was a crucial time in the life of candidates as it prepared them for the next stage in their educational ladder.

He explained that the tour was to ascertain the progress of the examinations since it was the first day and to encourage students to put up their best to qualify for the tertiary level.

Some schools toured were, Accra Girls Senior High School, Accra High Senior School and Achimota Senior High School all in Accra.

Mr Ocran said it was the responsibility of the Ministry to ensure that students who passed WASSSCE entered tertiary institutions, but noted that parents also had responsibilities to play by committing themselves to the financial support of their children.

He said government would continue to provide free education to the children but parents should endeavour to invest and provide the financial support for their children.

“Let us all resolve that the best we can give our children is by investing to give them quality education,” he added.

Mrs Rosmond Blay, Director of Special Education, said enough provision had been made for students with special needs, especially, the blind and the deaf and dumb adding that “we have made provision for interpreters to interpret the oral English for the deaf and dumb students as well as braille for blind students”.

The subject for the first day was Oral English.**