MoE makes ‘Computing subject’ optional for 34th BECE candidates

The Ministry of Education (MoE) says final year Junior High School (JHS) students to partake in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will write Computing as an optional subject for the national examination.

The changes come after the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) in a statement shared with Thisterm.com said students will sit for Computing as a compulsory subject for the BECE scheduled for July 2024.

The Curriculum Council in the press release indicated that 2024 candidates will be examined in the same number of subjects under the Common Core Programme (CCP) Curriculum thus English Language, Mathematics, and Science.

Other compulsory subjects the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment said are Social Studies, Ghanaian Language, Religious and Moral Education, Creative Arts, Career Technology, Computing, French, and Arabic.

“All learners are expected to study and be examined in English Language, Mathematics, and Science. Social Studies, Ghanaian Language, Religious and Moral Education, Creative Arts, Career Technology, Computing, French, and Arabic.”

NaCCA further disclosed that provisions have been made for these Ghanaian languages: Twi (Asante), Twi (Akuapem), Ewe, Ga-Adangbe, Dagbanli, Nzema, Fante, Gunune and others to be examined at the BECE for School level.

This option the Council for Curriculum Assessment (NaCCA) said does not imply that any subject has been made optional but instead provides an opportunity for learners to showcase their proficiency in their mother tongue.

The 2024 edition of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for School Candidates will be administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) from July 8, 2024, to July 12, 2024.

According to the Ghana Education Service, the West African Examinations Council will provide detailed information regarding the registration of candidates for the examinations to the heads of the schools in the coming weeks.

It has also directed Regional Directors of Education to share the BECE information with the Metro/District/Municipal Directors of Education for onward communication to all heads of various basic schools in their region.

In a discussion regarding the upcoming BECE, the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, said the type of questions for the national examination to be administered by the West African Examinations Council may be different.

“The type of questions may be different but the subjects are going to be the same. I think it is important for parents not to panic but they are to understand their children are still going to write BECE,” the Minister said in the interview.

The Minister for Education indicated that samples of the change in question for the school examination at the appropriate time will be made public to members of the general public particularly students, parents and stakeholders

“Samples of the change in questions will be made available to students ahead of the conduct of the examination but subjects for the 2024 BECE are going to be the same to be written as students who did last year,” Adutwum noted.