The 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) began on Monday, 7th August, 2023. A total of 51 prison inmates are taking this year’s exams.
The inmates who are all males came from various prison cells across the country. 26 of them are from Senior Correctional Centre in Accra, 9 from Nsawam Medium Security Prison in the Eastern Region; 8 from Kumasi Central Prison; and 4 each from Sunyani Central Prison and Ankaful Maximum Prison respectively
The officer in charge of Senior Correctional Centre, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Millicent Owusu, made this information available to the media.
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According to her, prison officers escort these inmates to their various centres and back to the prisons after writing their paper. This process would be followed throughout their entire examination period. The inmates are between the ages of 13-18 years who were juvenile offenders and 18-21 years young offenders.
“The officers are always with them, teach them and meet them every morning to discuss past questions and other things so that they will be abreast with what is happening outside the world to enable them write the exams just as the ordinary candidates,” she revealed.
The DDP revealed some issues the inmates face before each examination. According to here, there are not enough materials for candidates to prepare enough before each exams.
“Nonetheless, we sometimes solicit for fund from benevolent individuals and organisations to assist in providing these modern equipment and materials like computers among others since the government could not do it alone.”
A total of 600,714 candidates sat for the 2023 BECE. Out of this number, 300,323 are males while 300,391 are females. 2137 examination centers will be used to the exams. 21027 Invigilators will be available for the 2023 BECE.
Below the breakdown of each region.
Ashanti region – 117,084
Males: 57,973
Females – 59,111
Ahafo/Bono/Bono East – 55,617
Males- 27,882
Females – 27,735
Volta/Oti – 44,221
Males – 22,723
Females – 21,498
Norten/North East/Savannah – 46,783
Males – 24, 706
Females – 22,077
Western/Western North – 22,437
Males – 10,558
Females- 11,879
Upper West Region – 14,804
Males – 7,163
Females – 7,641
Greater Accra region – 112,894
Males – 54,624
Females – 58,270
Eastern Region – 58,311
Males- 29,703
Females – 28,608
Central region – 68,035
Males- 34,166
Females – 33,869
Western/Western North – 60,528
Males- 30,825
Females -29,703.