The Head of Public Affairs at the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), John K. Kapi, has defended the existing structure of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), cautioning against proposals to reduce the number of examinable subjects.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, May 7, Mr. Kapi argued that narrowing the scope of subjects at the basic level could limit pupils’ academic exposure and undermine their preparation. He explained that, given the maturity of candidates, engaging them in a broader range of subjects ensures a more balanced education.
“If you look at the level at which we are assessing these children—their maturity level and all of that—if we are limiting them to just a few subjects, I believe that what we’re going to do is simply to be limiting the children to just a few things that they pay more attention to,” he stated.
He further warned that a reduced curriculum might cause students to prioritise certain subjects while neglecting others, noting that areas such as general papers could be overlooked if perceived as less significant in assessments.
“I’ve heard you asking whether it should not be the case where the children will not pay too much attention to a general paper because they think that it’s really not going to be assessed, you know, it’s not going to be anything big to be assessed,” he added. His comments come in response to calls from education think tank Africa Education Watch, which has criticised the BECE structure as unfair and overly stressful for candidates. The group has proposed reforms, including reducing the number of examinable subjects to four core areas, to ease the burden on students.
Source: Isaac Appiah-Kubi