By Prince Acquah
Cape Coast, Aug. 14, GNA – Twenty-eight candidates with special needs are sitting for the 2025 West African Senior High School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the Central Region.
The candidates who had conditions including hearing and vision impairments, are writing the papers in their respective schools with the necessary assistance, the Regional Education Directorate has indicated.
They are among a total of 41,421 candidates from 75 schools comprising 22,810 females and 18,611 males presented for WASSCE by the region this year.
This suggests that 4,199 more girls than boys are sitting for the annual examination, representing an estimated difference of 10 per cent, a situation which reflects the national picture.
The 2025 WASSCE commenced with practicals for Visual Arts students on Thursday, August 5, and is scheduled to end on Friday, September 19, with Music and Leather Work.
The core subjects will, however, begin with Oral English on Wednesday, August 20, after which Social Studies will come on Monday, August 25.
The written part of the core English is slated for Thursday, September 4, while Mathematics and Integrated Science will be written on Thursday, September 11, and Monday, September 15, respectively.
Dr Juliet Dufie Otami, the Regional Education Director, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said everything was in place to ensure the smooth progress of the examination without any logistical or material challenges.
For the candidates with special needs specifically, adequate provisions including braille, interpreters and large prints had been made for them based on their conditions and severity of same, she stated.
She said she was hopeful that the exams would generally end on a good note given the regular engagements with the school heads and candidates by the Directorate and the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
Dr Otami was optimistic of a remarkable performance by the region but quickly served notice to all candidates and teachers to desist from any form of examination malpractice, warning that culprits would be arrested and prosecuted.
“The heads have signed an undertaking to commit themselves to preventing cheating in their schools and so we expect them to abide by that.
“This time, the Ghana Education Service is not going to sit aloof and watch cheating to become a normal practice and so let us be vigilant and cautious. The students should sit up and learn because that is why they were brought to school,” she stressed.
With regard to security, the Regional Education Director allayed the fears of the candidates, assuring them of maximum police protection throughout them exercise, saying “ “The whole school community is with you and so go and write what you know but you need to learn hard”.
“Whatever you have learnt is what you are going to account for because in life, there is always accountability,” she added.
The Regional Education Director entreated expectant girls and lactating mothers registered for the exams to step out boldly to write their papers.
She encouraged them to look beyond their conditions and gather the strength to complete their secondary education, stating that pregnancy was not a disease.
Dr Otami appealed to parents of candidates, particularly day students, to reduce their workloads to afford them ample time to prepare for their papers.
She also discouraged parents from abetting with the candidates to cheat by giving them phones or buying them supposed exams questions.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/ Christabel Addo