Atiwa West District Chief Executive Paddy Amponsah Douglas has urged final-year students writing the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Atiwa West District of the Eastern Region to be focused on their studies to benefit from the government’s free senior high school policy.
He encouraged them to strive for excellence in the examination to access opportunities for higher education.
The DCE made these remarks when he paid a working visit to some of the exam centres in the district.
About 1,400 candidates, made up of 734 boys and 663 girls in the district, are sitting for the exam, which will end on Friday.
Some of the centres he visited were Abomosu STEM Senior High School, Kwabeng Senior High School, Akrofo RC Primary, and Akropong Presby Primary School.
Earlier, the district chief executive, together with the NPP parliamentary candidate, Korko Asante, presented about 1500 pieces of mathematical sets and pens to each candidate.
They also provided breakfast to boost the students’ morale and energy for their exams.
Addressing the candidates, Paddy Amponsah Douglas explained that they were also moved to help candidates who may not have the means to purchase food to help them focus on their exams.
He encouraged the students to remain calm and composed, be confident in their abilities and recall what they had learned during their studies.
Paddy Amponsah Douglas indicated that education in the catchment area has shown improvement compared to previous years, adding that the number of students has increased, attributing it to the success of the Free Senior High School policy and various social interventions implemented by the government and district assembly.
In an interview with NET2 TV NEWS after the monitoring, John Osafo, the District Director of Education for Atiwa West, trumpeted the steady improvement in the district’s academic record.
He however, expressed concerns that, out of the 1,397 candidates from the district, 29 students were absent for unknown reasons, and it is important to investigate and address them to ensure that all students have a fair chance to succeed.
