The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, has questioned the continued relevance of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), arguing that the examination has largely lost its original purpose following the introduction of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy.
According to him, the role of the BECE in Ghana’s education system has evolved significantly, with the examination now serving mainly as a tool for placing students into senior high schools rather than determining whether they qualify to continue their education.
Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, Mr. Asare explained that the BECE previously played a more significant role in determining access to secondary education.
He said before the introduction of Free SHS, students had to attain a particular aggregate to qualify for admission into secondary school, while their BECE results also influenced the school to which they were placed.
“BECE in time past, prior to the Free Senior High, it was used for two main reasons. The first was to determine who goes to secondary school because there was a cut-off point of 36.
“The second was to determine which school one is placed in and other minor reasons for certification. It served as evidence for completing the JHS level.
“But since 2017/2018, when we introduced Free SHS, we have come to agree as a country that the minimum level of education that any Ghanaian should have is secondary. On average, 98 percent of BECE candidates have always qualified for placement, and so BECE relevance now is only for placement.”
Mr Asare therefore suggested that Ghana may need to reconsider the purpose and structure of the BECE in light of the changes brought about by the Free SHS policy.
He noted that since virtually all BECE candidates now qualify for placement into senior high school, the examination no longer performs its previous role as a gatekeeper for access to secondary education.
