The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has counseled candidates preparing for this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to do away with all forms of examination malpractices as they write their first paper on Monday, November 15.

He reminded the students that there is dignity in honest labour and as future leaders, they must desist from cutting corners in their quest for good grades at all cost.

Dr Adutwum gave the advice in a recorded message shared with BECE candidates during a series of training workshops on practical ways of answering questions organised by the Academic Diary, a monthly educational magazine.

Over the years, the magazine has been organising such sessions for BECE candidates to prepare them ahead of the examination as its contribution towards achieving positive learning outcomes.

Ten districts in the Ashanti and Ahafo Regions benefited from this year’s exercise which focuses on English, Mathematics and Science.

In order to adequately prepare the candidates and also make a significant impact in the three subject areas, teachers with decades of experience in teaching, preparing and examining BECE candidates were put together by the magazine to take the candidates through the best ways of approaching examination questions.

In one of such sessions held at Agona in the Sekyere South District, hundreds of candidates drawn from both public and private schools in the District benefited from the exercise.

The Minister encouraged candidates to work hard to crown their three years of perseverance in their respective schools with good grades.

“Do not be influenced by anybody who intends to enter the examination hall with foreign materials but rather, pay attention to the lessons being given to you by the teachers on how to answer questions in the  subjects you have studied,” he advised them.      

He added that free secondary education awaits them and all they need to do is to successfully overcome the BECE hurdle.

“I just want to encourage you that there is a brighter future ahead of you. The president of the republic has introduced the free senior high school programme and this is the greatest opportunity presented to your generation,” he stated.

“I pray for you and I seek God’s guidance and wisdom for you throughout the period of the exams and I would like you to know that as the minister of education, you have my support,” he assured them.

Mr. Michael Nana Ampong, Managing Editor of the Academic Diary, said the exercise is the magazine’s little contribution towards the education of the younger generation.

He added that as an educational magazine, they have a role to play to complement the efforts by the government to improve the standard of education in the country.

He said, management is considering extending the exercise to more districts in the coming years and called for partnership from corporate bodies and other stakeholders in education to reach out to more students.