The West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) has begun smoothly under strict safety protocols in the Senior High Schools in the Upper East Region.

Although, some of the schools did not receive the full complement of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) preventive items as promised by government, managements of the various schools ensured that the necessary precautionary measures were put in place to prevent any spread of the virus.
When the Ghana News Agency visited some of the schools on the first day, the candidates were writing 'Leather Work' and 'Graphic Design', the first subjects.

The schools put in place hygiene materials such veronica buckets containing water, soap, tissue papers and hand sanitizers at various examination halls to encourage hand washing before the start of the paper.

At the Bolgatanga Girls' Senior High School (BOGISS), Mrs Patricia Anaba, the Headmistress of the school, said the exit examination commenced on schedule, while the necessary protocols were followed by students and invigilators.

She said although the school did not receive some of the Personal Protective equipment such as the nose masks and hand sanitizers, it managed to buy some of the hand sanitizers to be used during the examinations, while students were encouraged to buy their own nose masks.

"We never had the veronica buckets, nose masks and hand sanitizers at the time we expected to receive our share of the PPE from government, but later on they gave us the veronica buckets without the sanitizers and the nose masks," she added.

The Headmistress said a total number of 501 students would be taking part in the Examination, but only 34 students studying Visual Arts were writing the Leather Work and Graphic Design on the first day.

When the GNA visited Zamse Senior High Technical School (ZAMSTECH) in Bolgatanga, the students had started writing the examination, while some of the COVID-19 protocols were strictly adhered to.

Mr Simon Anaba, the Headmaster of ZAMSTECH, explained that apart from ensuring that all students and invigilators wore nosemasks and followed other prescribed preventive protocols, each examination hall was arranged to contain only 25 students.

He disclosed that 35 students were taking part in the first paper, while a total of 388 students were set to write the WASSCE in the school.