The Chief Executive Officer of National Lottery Authority (NLA) Sammi Awuku has sponsored a mock examination for about 2,400 Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) Candidates in both public and Private Schools in Akuapem North Municipality in Eastern region.
Sammi Awuku sponsored printing of the question papers and answer booklets, and procured 2,400 pieces of mathematical sets to be distributed to the candidates.
He additionally supported the supervision of the examination with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Handing over the items to the Akuapem North District Directorate of Education at Akropong in Eastern region, Sammi Awuku who is eyeing the parliamentary seat for the area underscored the importance of the mock examination in building the confidence of candidates and also helping teachers know strength and weaknesses of the students for the necessary interventions.
“We expecting that this mock examination will prepare the candidates well, build their confidence into the main exams to impact and improve upon the results even though last year was impressive we expect this year to be of greater impact. What I personally seek to achieve is to build confidence of the people before they take the exams because for many of them they may get to experience how to use the mathematical set on the day of their exams and it will be new to them how to use the compass and all those things,” said Sammy Awuku
He added that “the tension alone in exams room can let you fail at the sight of of these mathematical instruments but once they have their confidence built ,practice on how to use this mathematical set and with the mock exams on all subjects that they are going to be examined on it will help know their strength.This mock exams are questions set by their own teachers and external examiners so these are standard questions they may end up facing it in the BECE.”
Sammi Awuku stated that education is one of his priority areas for Akuapem North therefore has already made some interventions including construction of a multi-purpose basket and valley ball court at Okuapeman SHS, supported Mampong PRESEC with a generator plant, facilitated to get a school bus, reroofing Salem school, recommended couple of schools to be considered under government’s smart school initiatives and the construction of an Astro turf being constructed at Presbyterian college of education to improve sporting events.
Akuapem North municipal Education Director Lawrence Dzah commended Sammy Awuku for the sponsorship of mock examination stating that the directorate had always struggled to get sponsor to organize mock for the candidates.
He hinted of plans to organize a simulation mock next year where candidates will be bused to various examination centers to write the mock exams to acquaint themselves to the new environment to cast out fear from BECE candidates during the main examination.
Performance of BECE candidates in Akuapem North over the years have been poor.
Statistics indicate that a total of 1064 candidates representing 38.1% of 2708 Candidates who wrote the 2018 BECE examination failed.
The number of candidates who failed in 2018 was 17% increase from 2017.
In 2017, only 8 students obtained aggregate 6 whereas in 2018 only 3 students had aggregate 6 in the entire municipality. Sixteen (16) schools out of the total 97 scored 100% in 2017 whilst in 2018, 17 schools out of 100 schools that participated in the BECE scored 100%.
Though there was improvement in 2022 pass rate from less than 50% in 2021 to 55%, it was still below 70% target of the Municipality.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
