2023 BECE Results: GES cracks down on JHS 1 and 2 Students who skipped class to sit for the exam

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has launched a comprehensive initiative to identify Junior High School (JHS) students in Forms One and Two who bypassed their classes to take the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

In a directive issued to all regional, metro, and district directors of education, the GES has requested the names of attending and absent JHS 1 and JHS 2 students during the 2023 BECE week, which occurred from August 7th to August 11th, 2023.

Both public and private school heads have been mandated to submit the names of their JHS one and two students to aid in this process.

The GES has also sought access to the attendance records of JHS 2 students during the 2021/2022 academic year. By examining the attendance patterns of students who took the 2023 BECE, the GES aims to ascertain whether any students “jumped” grades and sat for the exam without fulfilling the necessary academic requirements.

Also, some experts in the field of education have expressed their support for the GES’s efforts, highlighting the importance of upholding strict admission standards to maintain the integrity of the educational system.

They believe that identifying unqualified students who participated in the 2023 BECE and subsequently disqualifying them from entering Form One of senior high school will serve as a deterrent and discourage such practices in the future. School heads who facilitated these actions may also face sanctions for their involvement.

GEs has also stated that the 2023 BECE results is expected to be release  within the last week of October 2023 or the first week of November 2023. it is expected that  Form One students  to commence classes in early December 2023.

Also, the GES has been in communication with regional directors of education, requesting a comprehensive list of JHS 2 students from the 2021/2022 academic year who participated in the 2023 BECE.

The unprecedented number of candidates, totaling 602,457, represents an increase of 49,049 compared to the previous year. Education watchers have raised concerns about the challenges posed by this significant increase in placing all these students in SHS Form One, particularly in light of the free SHS policy.

In addition to attendance records, school heads are required to submit the names of JHS students in Forms 1 and 2 who were absent during the 2021/2022 academic year, particularly during the specified period of August 7th to 11th, 2023.

This information, along with the class attendance registers, will be verified by the Metro/Municipal/District Directors of Education before being submitted to the Director-General through the Regional Directors of Education.