A group calling itself Concerned Youth for Sekyere Afram Plains in the Ashanti region has bemoaned the lack of an examination centre for the upcoming Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the district.

They have expressed concern about what they say would be a tiring situation for candidates sitting the exams in the district.

The candidates would have to make a 33km journey on a bad road to the Sekyere Kumawu district to write the exams which begins on Monday June 13, 2016.

In an interview with Joy News’ Beatrice Adu, secretary of the group, Wisdom Boe, said the situation is demoralizing to most of the candidates who have to pay their own accommodation during the period of the exams in Sekyere Kumawu.

“Parents have to rent accommodation for them before they can write the exams otherwise, they will have to travel one hour every day from Drobonso to Kamawu to write their exams and each child will spend ¢50 on transportation during the exams,” he said.

This he says is unacceptable, when a centre could be provided for the district to ease the burden of both parents and candidates.

He indicated that although the district has been selected for the citing of a centre, the District Education Directorate failed to do what it had to do to see it through.

He said parents cannot afford to rent accommodation for their wards while they write the exams, neither can they afford to pay their transportation fees throughout the period.

He added several appeals to authorities for a centre before the exams begin has fallen on deaf ears.

Assistant Headmaster of the Presby JHS in Drobonso, the District capital of Sekyere Afram Plains is also against the West African Examinations Council (WAEC)’s decision not to have a centre in the district.

He told Joy News it is a serious disservice to the candidates.

“This situation is adversely affecting the children because their minds were geared toward writing the exams in the area but all of a sudden we heard from WAEC that the exams cannot be written in the area.”

“In fact, it is bringing a lot of problems because the parents were not prepared to write the exams at Kumawu,” he said.

He, however, noted that the DCE and MP have provided some funds which will cater for 50 percent of the candidates transportation. 

This year's BECE will see a total of 461,012 candidates comprising 239,063 males and 221,050 females sitting for the exams at 1,598 centers across the country. The exams period is between June 13-17, 2016.