Education Experts Call for Review of BECE to Match New Curriculum, WAEC Still Defends

Two education experts are calling for changes to the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to match the new standard-based curriculum. They say the current way of testing students does not fit the new teaching system, reports by Graphics.

The experts are Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, former Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, and Dr Peter Anti Partey, Executive Director of the Institute for Education Studies. They believe the BECE should be changed or even replaced.

Prof. Opoku-Amankwa said that the BECE was created for an old type of curriculum and it no longer fits with what students are now being taught. He explained that the BECE uses a grading system that compares students to each other, instead of checking if they have learned what they are supposed to. He said the new system, called standard-based assessment, checks if students meet learning goals — not just how they perform compared to others.

Dr Partey also said that the BECE does not properly measure what students are learning under the new curriculum. He said Ghana changed to the standard-based curriculum in 2019, but the BECE has not changed to match it.

But the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), which organizes the BECE, says the exam is still useful. WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, said the BECE is not just for school placement but also checks what students have learned. He added that changes have already been made to include more critical thinking and problem-solving in the exam.

Mr. Kapi said the BECE now focuses more on how students apply their knowledge, which matches the goals of the new curriculum. He believes that with some small changes, the BECE can still serve its purpose.

However, Prof. Opoku-Amankwa believes a new method should be used. He suggested a diagnostic test that would show students’ strengths and help guide their future studies. He said this would help teachers and parents understand what students can do and where they need help.

Dr Partey stressed that it is urgent to change the BECE to match the new curriculum. He warned that using the old system may mean students are not really learning what they should. He said Ghana must stop introducing new ideas while still using old ways of testing.

In short, the experts say the BECE must be reviewed quickly to fit the new curriculum. WAEC agrees some changes are needed, but still believes the BECE is relevant.