The Chairman of the Education Committee of Parliament and New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Jaman North, Stevens Siaka, has led colleague MPs to wish the 509,824 candidates, who will be taking this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) starting from Monday, June 4, well in their exams.
He said education is very important and that an educated citizenry is one of the transformative catalysts that would usher a country into development, eradication of poverty and elimination of ignorance.
According to him, education must not be the sole responsibility of the government, stressing that the support of parents is very necessary to help achieve the success ‘we want to see in the young ones’.
He said contributions of teachers in ensuring quality education can also not be downplayed.
“I will like to acknowledge and appreciate the commitment and efforts of teachers all over the country especially those in the rural and deprived communities who are working hard to ensure that the Ghanaian child is educated,” he emphasized.
He asked the candidates to concentrate on their examination and take advantage of the free educational policy of the NPP government which covers not only the senior high schools but also technical and vocational institutions.
“Mr Speaker, I will like to wish all the candidates good luck in their exams and also assure them of government’s continuous support here and beyond,” he stated.
The ranking member of the Education Committee and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Akatsi North, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, who also contributed said that the timetable for the BECE exams is too tight and does not help the candidates at the level.
According to him, the one-week exams timetable should be extended to two weeks so that the candidates would feel relaxed to take the exams and pass well.
“Mr Speaker, each day the students are made to write two papers in four sittings. They will write the objectives and the written papers differently, making it four papers a day,” he said, adding that, “It is too much for such young candidates.”
The NPP MP for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Boamah, for his part also congratulated some colleague MP on showing great concern in the education of their constituents and also for organizing vacation classes for the candidates, and also providing them with mathematical sets.
The NPP MP for Effutu, Alex Afenyo-Markin, wished the candidates great success in their examinations so that they could all be enrolled onto the free SHS.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr