2024 BECE subjects to be reduced from excessive 9 to 5 – GES staff
Describing the current Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) subjects written by Junior High School students as excessive, the Ghana Education Service (GES) says the subjects for the national examination will be reduced in 2024.
The Director of Schools and Instructions Division at the Ghana Education Service, Prince Charles Agyemang-Duah in an interview said careful deliberation and expert advice led to the new change to take effect in the next academic year.
The GES official said the decision, reached in collaboration with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NACCA) and various relevant stakeholders, aims to create a more focused and meaningful learning environment.
Agyemang-Duah emphasized that the previous nine subjects were deemed excessive, with some subjects appearing redundant and repetitive. As a result, the subject “Our World Our People” has been eliminated from the curriculum.
Agyemang-Duah explained that upon closer examination, this subject exhibited significant overlap with social studies, making the learning experience appear burdensome and potentially punitive for students.
“We realized that the number of subjects the students learn at a particular stage was too much and there were some subjects that were more or less like repetition.
This subject; Our world our people, has been scrapped because when you look inside that particular course in the curriculum and you compare it to the social studies, it’s like duplication, the same topic here and there”
“The goal is to ensure that learning is not perceived as a punishment for children but rather as a meaningful and productive experience,” The Director of Schools, Prince Agyemang-Duah said in the interview with Accra-based MX24.
He added that “starting 2024 BECE, candidates will now be assessed in five subjects, reflecting a thoughtful and strategic approach to curriculum development. So, in 2024, five subjects are going to be written by the candidates.”
Mr Duah outlined that the 34th edition of the BECE will evaluate students in core subjects like Mathematics, English Language, Integrated Science, a Ghanaian language, and a fifth subject known as general knowledge.
Additionally, the Director said candidates will be required to showcase their proficiency in concepts from diverse subjects like Information and communications technology (ICT), Social Studies, and Religious and Moral Education.
Subjects including English Language, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Social Studies, Religious and Moral Education, French (optional) Ghanaian language, Basic Design and Technology, and ICT are written by candidates for the exams.
The national examination is administered once each year by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in collaboration with the Ministry in Charge of Education (MoE) and the Ghana Education Service (GES).
I love this one, We want best for our by asking them their career choice to a select a subject for them is also better, Cheers to this idea
I think this is perfect decision, it will reduce alot of unnecessary pressure on the students
That is true and accurate, besides the subjects learnt at the J.H.S is too much making it difficult for the students to pass their BECE leading to cheating in the exam hall.