The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has sent a word of encouragement on behalf of President John Mahama to all candidates writing this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

“I wish to also encourage them to see this exam as an important milestone in the building of their character and career, and more importantly, their academic progression,” he said.

Mr Iddrisu stated that at a meeting with officials from the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to obtain first-hand information on their preparedness for the conduct of the WASSCE.

Those present at the meeting included the Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Education, Prof George K.T. Oduro; the Chief Director of the ministry, Maamele Adrews; the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Prof Ernest Kofi Davis, and the Head of National Office of the WAEC, Dr Rosemond Wilson.

Conflict-prone areas

Mr Iddrisu commended the GES and WAEC for the work they were doing with the security agencies to ensure that no student was left behind, even those in conflict-prone areas, or who might be victims of some circumstances of instability or the lack of peace or conflict in that particular area.

“Our schoolchildren, both in Bawku and Nalerigu in the Upper East Region, deserve the same right to quality education and opportunity as every Ghanaian child.

“So, the assurance to the Ghanaian public is that the government will provide adequate security to protect all those engaged and who will be partaking in the examinations across the country,” Mr Iddrisu said.

“I am also told that in the Oti Region, we probably will have to provide some additional logistical support to get some students, who ordinarily would be day students, but we are converting them momentarily into boarding students,” Mr Iddrisu said.

The minister said about 400 candidates in the Oti Region were equally caught up in a conflict environment in the region, and said the Ministry of Education would support with adequate logistics to be able to deal with that.

He gave the assurance that the government would resource WAEC adequately, “because we want you to prepare early in advance so that we get this important exercise going.

They can't afford to miss this opportunity because assessment is integral to the building of their character and their future”.

National Education Review Committee

Mr Iddrisu hinted that the ministry would share with stakeholders a blueprint and a roadmap for implementing the recommendations of the National Education Review Committee.

“It is my understanding and expectation that there will be a National Education Review Implementation Secretariat, which will cost the recommendations,” he added.

He said as part of the recommendation, there would probably be a national debate on the future of secondary education as to how much the state was investing in secondary education.

“In particular, given meaning to the constitutional provision of free, compulsory, universal basic education, it is my honest belief that we should invest more in foundational learning than any other area in our educational provision if we are to be successful.

“While emphasising science, mathematics and engineering education for the future, we must be seen supporting you in looking at the capacity and training of your teachers,” the minister tasked the Director-General of the GES.