A 71-year-old farmer and a father of six children, Mr Kwasi Baiden has defied the odds to write the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Ahafo Region.

Mr Baiden sat the examination at the Ahafoman Senior High Technical School Centre “B” at Goaso, the regional capital during a visit to the centre. 
 
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Baiden said he registered as a private candidate and added his decision to write the examination was to inspire school dropouts to return to the classroom and access formal education. 
 
Instead of being in the classroom, Mr Baiden said he was worried that many school-going-age children in the area were engaged in commercial tricycle riding (Okada), illegal lumbering and mining. 
 
Mr Baiden said he also picked inspiration from the implementation of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) programme, saying “I have prepared myself adequately to pass the BECE to enable me to also enjoy the FSHS”, and commended the government for the implementation of the programme. 
 
In another interview, Mr Isaac Siaw, the Asunafo North Municipal Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service confirmed to the GNA that 3,143 candidates comprising 1,631 males and 1,512 females were writing the BECE in the Municipality. 
 
The candidates were drawn from 83 public and 33 private schools, he stated, adding that about 11,378 candidates comprising 5,842 males and 5,536 females were also sitting for the exams in the region.