The newly appointed Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Daniel Fenyi, has described the Service’s decision to require senior high school selection before writing the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as a strategy to motivate students to study harder ahead of their exams.
As of 2024, BECE candidates were required to select a total of eleven (11) senior high schools — an initial six and an additional five. They must choose only one school from Category A and a maximum of two from the 260 Category B schools across Ghana. The sixth choice must be a day school from Category D.
In an interview on Happy 98.9FM’s Happy Morning Show, Fenyi revealed that this motivational approach is part of a broader restructuring strategy aimed at improving communication and ensuring seamless interactions with the GES. “As part of the new arrangements with school placement, students now select their schools before writing the BECE. Previously, we came to meet a system where students were choosing their schools after the exam, selecting about eleven to twelve schools,” he said.
The GES spokesperson explained that this change in the placement process helps students maintain a stronger focus on their studies. “We believe that when students choose their schools before the exams, they are more motivated to study in order to meet the standards of the schools they have selected,” he added.
Another restructuring initiative underway is the reduction of double-track schools in Ghana, aimed at streamlining Ghana’s education system.
