Results of the candidates who sat for the 2016 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will be released from September 12, officials have announced.
A total of 461,013 candidates from 14,267 public and private junior high schools wrote the exams that was conducted by the West African Examination Council [WAEC] between June 13 and 17, 2016.
They were made up of 239,963 males and 221,050 females as well as 57 visually impaired.
“We would like parents to be aware that after September 12, WAEC will release the results of the BECE,” Public Relations officer of the Ghana Education Service, Rev. Jonathan Betteh told 3News on Sunday.
The release of the results will enable successful and qualified candidates to enter Senior High Schools and Technical Institutes across the country, which are set to reopen for the 2016/2017 academic year on September 8.
Some students risk getting their choices
Meanwhile, some of these candidates risk getting posted under the Comprised Schools Selection Placement System [CSSPS] to any of the four schools they selected.
According to the National Coordinator of the CSSPS, Kwasi Anokye, some heads of junior high schools have failed to forward the data of the their students for processing.
“There are still some junior high schools, as I talk to you today, [are] yet to submit their data. It will cost the candidates a lot because if we don’t know the four schools they will go, it will be difficult for us to assume for them,” he told TV3.
He explained that the affected students will not lose out in getting placement in any senior high or technical school but will rather not be able to get any of their preferred schools irrespective of their performance.
He said such candidates would not have the opportunity to be placed in the first phase, as they will be treated as reserves, saying “those candidates will normally be reserved or taken to the next face after we have finished with those with their data.
“It will affect them because if their performance deserve them to be in certain schools, they may lose out,” he added
Commenting on why some schools have since not submitted their data for processing, Mr Ankoye said the schools claimed some of the candidates after registering for the BECE, failed to come to school again.
“So getting them [the students] to even tell the school the kind of schools they will go becomes very difficult. And some of the schools, they have the data but just following the guidelines; the deadline to submit the data becomes an issue,” Mr Anokye said.
He said heads of those schools faces sanctions if they fail to submit the data on time, noting “last year, some of them were punished, especially the heads of the institution.
“They were relieved of their responsibilities as heads of the institution because if you are not able to do this simple task, we don’t see why you should be the head of a junior high school,” he stated.
How to verify your data
Meanwhile, he said parents and students who sat for the BECE can check to find out if their data has been submitted to the CSSPS by texting their index numbers to the short code 1060.
“We have put in some measures now where candidates can confirm their choices. You just text the index number 1060 and all the four schools will appear on your phone for you.
“If it appears, it means your data is intact with us. If you don’t get any message as far as the four schools are concerned, then you need to let us know,” he advised.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana
Twitter @steviekgh_TV3