Akatsi North DCE Warns WASSCE, BECE Candidates to Avoid Exam Misconduct

The West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates for this year have been reminded by District Chief Executive (DCE) for Akatsi North, Hon. Simon Peter Ofosu, that success in life is not solely determined by the grades they receive, but also by the lessons they learn, the values they uphold, and the positive impact they have on the world around them.

At this year's district examination forum for seniors, Hon. Ofosu delivered a speech in Ave Dakpa, the district's administrative centre.

The Generational Thinkers of Ave Dakpa (GTAD), an educational Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in the district, organised the annual examination forum for all final-year BECE and WASSCE students in cooperation with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and other stakeholders of the education sector.

More than one hundred (100) students from Ave Senior High School (AVESCO) in Ave Dakpa and about five hundred (500) kids from thirty-one (31) elementary schools spread around the district participated in the discussion.

It was intended, among other things, to map out strategies to improve educational outcomes, particularly the recent underwhelming performance of children and kids at the BECE and WASSCE levels in the Akatsi North area.

About six (6) speakers guided the final-year students through topics like advanced and final exam preparation, getting students mentally prepared to write exams well, exam rules and regulations, answering exam questions correctly, effective time management, appropriate behaviour after each paper, and positive pre- and post-school routines, including potential temp jobs available, among others.

The facilitators included a retired educator and Chief Examiner of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr. Newman Kpogo, the Assistant Headmaster in charge of Administration at AVESCO, Mr. Sebastian G. Kumahor, the Senior Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry at the College of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, and Mr. Clement Collins Ahiagbede, the General Secretary of the Ave Development Union (AVEDU).

Hon. Simon Peter Ofosu reminded the attendees throughout his speech of the candidates' obligations to the test and to life in general. He asserts that education is a lifelong endeavour and that exams are but one step on the road to a successful future.

The DCE emphasised that making preparations meant facing the challenges that lay ahead with confidence and tenacity, not just learning about them.

The DCE also urged the BECE candidates to put in more effort to do well on the test in order to profit from and take advantage of the free Senior High School (SHS) programme.

He advised the BECE and WASSCE candidates to avoid cheating on exams and engaging in any other illegal activity that could harm their academic standing and endanger their lives.

Hon. Ofosu said that by being cautious, he can help them change their behaviour for the better. He hoped that their outstanding performance in the next exam will realise their aspirations to pursue careers as teachers, doctors, nurses, journalists, police officers, soldiers, or any other profession of their choosing.

Professor Johannes Awudza, a senior lecturer at the College of Science, Department of Chemistry at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, emphasised the importance of student discipline and argued for the wise distribution of resources to schools in order to enhance educational outcomes.

He regrets that the canker is a contributing element to the current appalling performance of students and pupils in exams and believes that the type of student indiscipline that plagues schools across the nation leaves much to be desired. He urged all stakeholders, including parents and teachers, to work effectively together to stop the regrettable practise, calling for a paradigm shift in the development.

According to Professor Awudza, the situation is not good enough because endowed schools continue to receive a sizable amount of the country's limited resources, which is to the detriment of their less fortunate counterparts who are constantly on their knees pleading for a share of the scarce resources.

Dominic Dzanado, the district's director of education (DDE), revealed that since the district's separation from the previous Akatsi district in 2012, it has had ongoing infrastructure problems. He admitted that many elementary schools are still located beneath trees and said that the circumstance is having a detrimental impact on the district's educational performance. He claims that the district's shortage of Kindergarten (KG) classrooms is another major issue.

Mr. Dzanado welcomed and applauded the District Assembly and the local Member of Parliament (MP) for launching a few projects in this regard, and expressed the hope that these educational initiatives would be finished on time to make up the shortfall. He made an appeal to NGOs working in the field of education to assist the district not only with classroom facilities but also with furniture and housing for teachers.

The high rate of teenage pregnancies among young schoolgirls in the district deeply concerned Hon. Patrick Ahiabu, PM of the Akatsi North District Assembly (ANDA), earlier in his purpose of gathering address. In light of the potential for the development to undermine the advancements being made in educational development in the district, he called for coordinated efforts to find a long-lasting solution to the canker.

Ms. Selina Zugah, an AVESCO alumna and banker at Ho, urged the children and students to surround themselves with role models who will encourage them to reach their aspirations and goals as well as greater heights in life.

The event was presided over by Torgbuiga Adogo Agbalekpor IV, the Paramount Chief of the Tagba (Xevi) Traditional Area. He praised the GTAD's leadership and members for taking the initiative and wished them luck in getting the necessary backing for future large-scale events of this kind. Additionally, he urged all Ave citizens—at home and abroad—to support any initiatives that would help the neighbourhood and their hometown grow.