Education Minister probes BECE candidate’s exam denial
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has ordered an urgent investigation after a candidate was denied entry into the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) following a delay due to an accident on the way to the examination center.
Voice recordings and social media reports indicate that the incident, which has triggered significant public concern, occurred at Nangbagu Yapala M/A Junior High School in the Northern Region.
According to Mr. Iddrisu, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has been tasked with investigating all the facts surrounding the incident. The aim, he explained, is to enable the Ministry to account for what happened, identify any administrative shortcomings, and implement appropriate measures to avoid a recurrence in future exams.
He stressed that the incident is a matter of fairness and justice for the candidate, adding: “It is a tragedy when a candidate is involved in an accident and then is further denied the opportunity to sit for their exams due to their late arrival. This cannot be allowed to happen again.”
The Minister assured the public that the GES is currently assessing the incident in depth. “We are in the process of reviewing the facts. All stakeholders, the candidate, the school, supervisors, and GES officials, will be engaged to enable us to arrive at a clear understanding of the incident and to guide us in putting in place appropriate safeguards for the future.”
He further called for calm from the general public while the GES prepares its report, emphasizing the Ministry’s strong commitment to fairness, equity, and compassion in its administration of exams across the country.
“We owe it to our children to treat them with dignity and fairness, especially under difficult circumstances, and we must learn from this incident to make sure our education system serves all children equally and justly,” Mr. Iddrisu added.
