A total of 53 special candidates in the Upper East Region are expected to sit for this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) which began on August 7, 2023.

The candidates, all visually-impaired, are among a total of 1583 registered candidates in the Talensi District of the Region.

“We have 53 special candidates writing this year’s BECE, and they are all visually-impaired from the Talensi District,” Mr Nathaniel N-yaaba, the Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), disclosed to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Bolgatanga.

He said it was not the first time visually-impaired candidates were registered for the BECE in the Region, adding that all the special candidates were adequately prepared with the right examination materials to help them to write.

He said a total of 2, 2431 registered candidates were expected to sit for this year’s BECE across all 15 Municipalities and Districts in the Region.

Out of the number, he said 10,578 were males and 11,853 females.

Mr N-yaaba said the candidates were taken through series of mock examinations as part of preparations for the week-long examination.

“Besides that, teachers have adequately prepared them psychologically,” he added.

Asked if there was special arrangements for candidates in the Bawku Municipality considering the conflict situation, Mr N-yaaba said more examination centres were created by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in the area on request of the GES.

Even though the PRO could not immediately provide the number of centres in the area, he was confident that there were adequate centres in the area to ensure candidates in the Municipality and its environs wrote without challenges.

He said the Service was against examination malpractices, and admonished candidates to abide by all examination rules.

“They are cautioned never to take any foreign materials to the examination centres. They should go into the examination hall and write exactly what they know,” he advised.

He said the rains had set in, and candidates could be stranded, and therefore, called on parents and guardians to ensure that their children were taken to the examination centres on time to prevent lateness and any unfortunate incidences.

Mr N-yaaba called on parents not to allow candidates to travel after the examination, saying “After the examination, that is not the end, candidates will have to select their choice of Senior High Schools.

“So candidates who intend travelling should not, before the selection of the schools, because they are the ones to select the schools not their parents,” the PRO said.