The Ministry of Education says it will review concerns raised about the performance of candidates and the marking of papers in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) once they are formally brought to its attention, while awaiting the release of the Chief Examiners’ Report.

The Press Secretary and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Hashmin Mohammed, said the report will provide a detailed assessment of candidates’ performance and offer a clearer basis for analysing the examination outcomes.

Speaking on JoyNews Desk on August 4, he cautioned stakeholders against making conclusions about the results before the report is released, noting that the Chief Examiners’ findings will provide important insights into areas of strength and challenges observed during the examination process.

“I wouldn’t sit here and entirely dismiss your concerns. However, it is important that after every examination, we wait for the Chief Examiners’ Report,” Mr Mohammed said.

He explained that examiners mark scripts without knowledge of whether candidates attended public or private schools, as answer booklets do not contain such information.

“When examiners take the answer booklets of students, the scripts do not indicate whether the student is from a public or private school. They mark based on the information available on the face of the answer booklet,” he stated.

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Mr Mohammed said this makes it difficult to attribute performance trends to a particular category of students without evidence from the examination review process.

He disclosed that the Ministry has not received any formal complaint concerning alleged unfairness or irregularities in the marking of BECE scripts.

However, he noted that the concerns have come to the Ministry’s attention through media reports and calls from some parents.

“Formally, such a complaint has not come to the attention of the Ministry of Education, but I have read reports in the media and some parents have also contacted me,” he said.

The Ministry, he assured, remains open to examining any credible concerns brought forward and will take the necessary steps after assessing the available information.

Mr Mohammed added that the integrity of the examination process remains a priority and that any verified concerns will be given the needed attention.