Thirty-two prison inmates are taking part in this year’s ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS), has disclosed.
The inmates (candidates), all males, comprise of six from Nsawam Medium Prison in the Eastern Region, including an inmate, who had been discharged, but came back to write the examination, and 26 from the Senior Correctional Centre in Accra.
The Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of the GPS, Chief Superintendent (Chief Supt.) of Prisons Courage Atsem, who disclosed these to the Ghanaian Times, in Accra yesterday, said the inmates were writing their examination with other candidates at regular centres.
He stated that prison officers would escort the inmates to the centres and back to the prisons until the end of the examination.
Chief Supt. Atsem said the inmates would use their BECE certificates to take part in Senior High School programme, being organized by the GPS.
He said government had absorbed the registration fees of the inmates, adding that inmates who are teachers, prison officers, and teachers from the Ghana Education Service (GES), were engaged to assist the inmates write the examination.
The Ghanaian Times in its Monday, November 15, 2021, issue, reported that a total of 571,894 candidates are taking part in this year’s BECE across 2,158 centres in the country.
The Ashanti Region has the highest number of candidates of 111,432 with 55,829 being males and 55,603 females. Also, 105,539 candidates are writing in the Greater Accra Region with 50,815 being males and 54, 824 females.
The Eastern Region has 55,930 candidates, 28,475 males and 27,455 females, Central Region, has 63,727candidates with 31,954 males and 31773 females.
Similarly, 58,316, 53,265, 42,093, 44,838, 22,116 and 14,638 candidates are taking part in the Western and Western North, Bono, Ahafo and Bono East, Volta and Oti, Northern, North East and Savannah, Upper East and West regions, respectively.
A total of 531,707 candidates, made up of 269,408 males and 262,299 females, sat for the examination last year.
Meanwhile, the management of the GES has urged supervisors and invigilators in the ongoing BECE to ensure strict compliance with the COVID-19 protocol at all the centres.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
