No Date Set for WASSCE or BECE – Dr Adutwum

The Deputy Education Minister has said that the management of West African Examination Council (WAEC) has not released a date for the 2020 final exams.

According to Dr Yaw Adutwum, the WAEC and Ghana Education Service (GES) are closely monitoring the Covid-19 pandemic to choose a suitable date for students to write the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as well as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

This comes after some students said on JoyNews’ ‘Beyond The Lockdown’ programme, that they had received information that the WASSCE and the BECE will be held in August.

“WAEC suspended the exams, hence with Ghana being a member, we also have to calm down and wait for them.

“In some countries, the exams were cancelled. Like the UK they cancelled the ‘O’ level and ‘A’ level right at the beginning because, they did not want the kids to go through that anxiety,” Dr Adutwum told Emefa Apawu, host of the show on Sunday.

WAEC suspended the WASSCE on March 20 explaining that, it took the decision in support of measures put in place by member countries to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Adutwum urged students to dismiss all “fake news” about schools reopening and when examinations are starting.He stated that until the GES comes out with a date, students should continue to focus on their studies and stay at home to avoid contracting the virus.

“Now that you have some more time to yourself, take advantage of it [and do as much studies] as you can. If the government makes the determination that you are going to take your exam at a date you would be ready.”

According to Dr. Adutwum, the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, will not send students to school especially, when no data is out to prove it is safe to do so.

On the issue of learning online, he assured the junior and senior high school students that the aim is to ensure that there is no loss of learning hence there would be no rigid assessment for them.

“I-campus is more about practice so that they don’t forget the things they learn in school.

“But it is an evolution, there would come to a time schools can incorporate that into the learning system, now we are focusing on how we can prevent learning loss,” the deputy Minister explained.