Editorial
Wishing all BECE candidates success in their examination
Come Monday, September 14, 2020 this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will start nationwide in all the 16 regions of Ghana and is expected to end on Friday, September 18, 2020.
According to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), a total of 531,705 candidates comprising 269,419 males and 262,286 females from 17,440 schools across the country are to sit for the BECE.
So far, 2,007 centres have been designated for the conduct of the examination.
Over the years WAEC has been warning candidates against examination malpractices but some recalcitrant candidates refuse to heed this advice as they relied on people who provide leaked papers instead of using their own efforts to write their examination.
It has, therefore, become necessary to keep reminding candidates of the dangers associated with engaging in examination malpractices to keep them on check.
Addressing journalists at a news conference in Accra Mrs Wendy Addy-Lamptey, Head of National Office of WAEC urged candidates to apply themselves to their books ahead of the examination and cautioned schools, parents, teachers and invigilators not to engage in acts that would amount to cheating.
Mrs Addy-Lamptey has assured that all logistics and test items needed for the examination were ready and “all question papers have been produced under tight security under the surveillance of the Ghana Police Service and WAEC.”
The Spectator wishes to add its voice to that of WAEC by advising candidates to abide by all the rules from WAEC for the examination to run smoothly to the end. Do not cheat and avoid taking any foreign material to the examination hall. Stay away from illicit assistance popularly known as “apor” and be honest to yourself.
Bear in mind that you have come this far despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and to do something untoward which would warrant the cancellation of papers is not the best.
We are confident that your hard work and adequate preparation towards the examination, coupled with support from your teachers, parents, the government through the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Ministry of Education (MoE) will go a long way for you to come out successfully.
Remember that examination malpractice is illegal and criminal. You have worked so hard so do not allow anybody to mar your future. Take care and abide by all the safety protocols.
We wish you success in your examination.
Editorial
Kudos to Ho Teaching Hospital staff, but …
Dear Editor,
If there is any group of professionals that get bad-mouthed the most, then you are referring to nurses and medical doctors assigned to public hospitals across the country.
For this particular letter, I want to sing the praises of this same group of professionals that work at the Ho Teaching Hospital, famously known as Trafalgar.
Despite the work load and the mass casualties received at the emergency ward of the hospital, the welcoming nature of the nurses and the professional touch by the doctors can’t be ignored. My personal experience has got me travelling from my base in Accra to seek medical services from these professionals.
Special mention has to be made of the likes of Precious of the Pharmacy Department, Dr Brandon Banor (a maxillofacial resident) of the Dental unit, male nurse Justice assigned to the female surgical ward. Words cannot really do justice to their affable, professional caring nature. A simple thank you is all that I can say.
In the same vein, I can’t but call out the bad attitude of the auxiliary staff and contractors of the hospital.
Chief among them is some of the contracted bank staff that handle the payment section of the hospital and the patient registration section (those that check the status of the patient as to whether they are fee paying patients or NHIS sponsored).
The attitude at times leaves a bad taste in the mouth. One such occurrence was a night staff of the registration section who had her legs on the office table whilst talking to patients.
The CEO of the hospital needs to shine his torch light on this support sections before they erode the awesome performance of the direct medical staff of the hospital.
Thank you for the space.
Kwesi Manu
Accra
Editorial
Develop policies to address disability concerns
Dear Editor,
AT the beginning of the year, when I went to the bank to deposit money into my uncle’s account, I observed a very sad situation where a man in a wheelchair struggled to navigate his way around the facility.
This is because the structure is disability unfriendly.
As I stood and watched how the man struggled to move his wheelchair, I felt sad and wondered if this is how the life of a disabled person should be. It becomes worse if there is no one to offer help.
In Ghana, People With Disabilities (PWDs) are often treated differently and are often subjected to all forms of discrimination.
Most of these people find themselves in such a situation as a result of unfortunate happenings such as accidents and injuries.
It is, therefore, not appropriate for anyone to discriminate against them. Discrimination against such persons take many forms, including how buildings are constructed.
Most of the public structures are not disability friendly and impede their movement.
As a country, we should consider the PWDs in designing our structures. I also think that there should be a national policy that seeks to address this issue.
I have a strong conviction that when such a policy is developed by the government, people with disabilities would feel appreciated and also promote social inclusivity.
Ray,
Kasoa
