The Ghana Education Service (GES) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) have been urged by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu to return the academic calendar for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to its pre-COVID arrangement.
Mr. Iddrisu emphasized the significance of going back to the original schedule that was interrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak during his remarks at yesterday’s WAEC Distinction Awards ceremony.
“I am using this platform to reiterate our strong desire to see the restoration of the academic calendar for both the BECE and WASSCE to its pre-COVID schedule,” he said.
The Minister voiced worry that the seamless transfer of students from one educational level to the next has been adversely affected by the continuous modifications to the academic calendar.
“We are not particularly happy that since COVID, our academic calendar has affected the seamless transition of students to the next layer of their career development,” Mr Iddrisu stated.
He urged GES and WAEC to work closely together to create a schedule that is consistent throughout the region and fits within the larger West African educational system.
“GES and WAEC must work together to restore an acceptable calendar, one that is in sync with the rest of the West African system,” he urged.
In order to ensure that students in Ghana and the West African region may move forward with their educational journeys without needless delays or disruptions, his plea emphasizes the critical need to return to a stable and predictable academic schedule.