How parents help students fail or pass BECE or WASSCE Examination

If a candidate fails, his or her BECE or WASSCE, parents need to take a portion of the blame. The role of parents in how students fail or pass their BECE or WASSCE cannot be ignored. Good students fail, just because they did not get the needed support from their parents.

Exam failure is a painful experience and parents can contribute to it. In the same vein, parents can help their wards or students avoid failing their BECE and WASSCE through the things they do.

Who is responsible for the failure of students? Everyone is responsible, and parents are the number one if the student fails. We often blame the teachers when candidates fail their exams and praise the learner when they pass. But if parents fail to show interest and concern in the preparation of their wards for their BECE and WASSCE, we must blame them for the poor results as well.

Fact: The home remains the learner’s first school and parents are the student’s first teachers, hence parents need to guide their wards to get ready for their impending examination. 

How parents can help students fail or pass their BECE or WASSCE

#1. Realistic and unrealistic expectations and targets

Unfortunately, some parents set unrealistic expectations for their wards who are preparing for the BECE or WASSCE and forget to match these expectations to the academic ability and potential of the learner. Providing the needed encouragement, atmosphere, love, and concern at home for the student who is preparing for his or her examination can positively help the learner. It is good to challenge your ward but do it well.

#2 Conducive and unconducive home

Making the home conducive to learning and exam preparation can create a unique and peaceful atmosphere for study.

Controlling the use of destructive electronic gadgets at home is another key responsibility of parents.

The television, laptops, and mobile phones which do not have any relevant materials on them for learning and exam preparation should be taken away from the learner.

#3. Demotivation and Motivation from parents

Parents need to motivate their wards. Inspiring confidence in the learner, sharing your belief in their abilities, and showing interest in their progress and how they are preparing for the examination make students feel they need to work hard.

Parents need to explain to their wards how passing the examination can open opportunities for them. When students who are preparing for their examination realize the importance of passing, it serves as personal motivation. Give a promise you know you can fulfil for each mock and the final BECE or WASSCE. This can be the magic wand needed to make your ward work even extra harder than you expected. This way, you are trading his or her hard work and success for a reward, and they will fall for it.

Make your BECE or WASSCE student feel confident at home. This empowers them to ask questions easily.  If you help your child to become self-confident, students who lack self-confidence can easily fail their examinations. Parents must help such students to clear every doubt about their abilities.

#4 Praise to shine or pass discouraging comments to shy of success

Parents need to praise their candidates for little successes attained in mocks, at home, and in all that the candidate does. Thumbs up, a pat on the back, a handshake, or a Hi-five are all easy ways to praise a student who is showing gradual improvement. Where a student is not doing well, let us say in his or her mocks. Do not discourage them, instead challenge them to put up a better performance in the next mock.

Statements like …

“So you, can you pass this examination at all”,

“I am disappointed in you”

“So you failed again? What else can you do?”

“I am scared you will fail the examination”

Comments of this nature are dangerous to the mental stability of your ward and candidate, and you will be actively contributing to their failure if you make such comments.

 

#5 Provide learning materials and extra tuition if you can

Provide the learner with the textbooks and all materials needed based on your strength. If you can afford the services of a  private tuition teacher, get this for the student who is preparing for the examination and keep an eye on his seriousness and study.

#6 Get to know the strength and weaknesses of your ward

Get interested in knowing the performance, strengths, and weaknesses of the student from the school and teachers.

They have no interest or passion for a particular subject, so studying and learning aren’t for them. They postpone studying, which falls under the category of time management. Perseverance initially enthuses, but once the long wait for assessment day begins, hope fades and resolve fades. ‘I don’t need to study, I’ve got this in the bag!’ Overconfidence is the result of some examination failures. Distractions such as friends, food, and phones can contribute to avoidable examination failure and take the mind of the student from studying.

#7 Your ward is a toad, not a frog

Stop comparing your ward to others, and know that each learner or candidate is different in every regard. Your child who is preparing for the BECE or WASSCE is different from all the other candidates. Identify the particular problem that can deal with it.

 

Parents need to have open conversations with their BECE or WASSCE candidates. Discuss his or her fears, and challenges and inspire confidence, solutions, and useful suggestions to help. Some students fail examinations, not because they do not study well enough. Exam fear is real, no matter how far or near the impending examination. If a student who is good starts to underperform, there may be underlying reasons which need to be investigated and dealt with.

READ: Download Best Brain May Mock (Likely BECE 2022 Questions)

#8 Discourage “I hate this subject” comments as a parent

Some students who are preparing for examination may dislike a subject or even the teacher who teaches the subject. As a parent, find out from your ward why he or she has developed a hatred for a particular subject or teacher. Knowing the reason can help you take steps and make informed decisions to help deal with it. It is wrong for a parent to make comments like “As for my ward, she does not like Integrated Science at all, it is in our family, his or her brother did not like mathematics as well” No, such comments only give students a fake belief that they cannot study such subjects, and they may grow to dislike such subjects the more.

The above suggestions if implemented by parents can help reduce the chances of a BECE or WASSCE candidate failing the examination. Kindly put our “How parents can help students fail or pass their BECE or WASSCE” suggestions to practice.

 

Do well to watch our youtube video “Pass BECE and WASSCE exam with our top 10 advises”

 

Source: Wisdom Hammond