Allow Brilliant JHS 1 And JHS 2 Students To Write BECE – NAGRAT President

The Chairman of the National Graduate Teachers Association (NAGRAT) in the Upper East Region, John Akunzebe, has said that the Ghana Education Service should allow and also encourage brilliant JHS 1 and JHS 2 students to write BECE.

In an Interview on Dreamz FM, John Akunzebe recognized that the standard school curriculum expects students to complete the full academic cycle at the basic level. However, he argued that exceptionally talented and naturally gifted students should not be denied the opportunity to sit for the BECE. Instead, they should be encouraged to take the exams and advance to Senior High School.

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Akunzebe pointed out that academically outstanding students, especially those who are older, can be challenging to manage in the classroom when they are held back. He suggested that allowing these students to progress could be a more suitable approach.

He also discussed a letter from the GES, which asked school heads to provide the names of JHS 1 and 2 students who were absent during the BECE period. While the GES did not specify the reason for this request, many believe it may be an attempt to identify non-final year students who took the exams and possibly take punitive actions against them.

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Akunzebe cautioned that such actions by the GES might lead to legal challenges and urged the GES to establish clear rules regarding non-final year students taking the BECE if they believe it is an issue.

He emphasized the importance of having clear statutory regulations, stating that there are currently no laws explicitly prohibiting non-final year students from sitting the BECE. He encouraged the GES to address the matter through proper legislative channels if they deem it necessary.

“I think that we should encourage people we think can make it to write and go. If you have a child who is 20, 22, 23 years and the child is in form 1 and the child is very good and you know that he can make it, why do you keep such a fellow there? He or she becomes difficult for teachers to manage him or her. And we have such people in our schools” he said.