The Member of Parliament for Talensi, Daniel Dung Mahama, has sponsored a district-wide mock examination for all 1,552 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates in the Talensi District ahead of the 2024/2025 BECE slated for June 9–16.
The initiative comes in response to the district’s persistent struggle with low pass rates in the national exams. For the past five years, Talensi has failed to surpass a 50 percent pass rate, with 2022/2023 BECE recording just 26 percent, and only rising to 44.1 percent in the 2023/2024 exam year.
The mock examination covers 62 schools—47 public and 15 private—with 834 boys and 718 girls gearing up for the exam. The MP said the mock test is not only meant to academically prepare the candidates but also to inspire confidence and readiness for the national exams.
Addressing students during a tour of some schools, Mr. Mahama urged them to take their studies seriously in order to benefit from the government’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy. “There is a reset agenda we are bringing into the country whereby the students will have a better free SHS and have an opportunity to get free enrollment into the tertiary institutions. So, if you want to enjoy the benefits of free SHS, you must first pass your BECE,” he admonished the candidates.
The MP added that sponsoring the mock exams forms part of his broader campaign commitment to improve the quality of education in Talensi. He expressed optimism that the district could secure a 100 percent pass rate if stakeholders and students commit to the task ahead.
Mr. Mahama was accompanied by the District Chief Executive, John Millim Nabwomya, and the Talensi District Director of Education, Christiana Azure Ayinzoya.
Madam Ayinzoya lamented that for years, the district has never crossed 50 percent in BECE results. She applauded the MP for his intervention and described the mock exam sponsorship as a timely and commendable effort.
“I have been saying that if we are not able to improve upon performance, it is like the toil of everybody is going down the drain. So, I said part of the things to do to improve upon the performance is to ensure that they prepare themselves by writing various mocks. For the past years, it is always been the district assembly that has been sponsoring one mock every academic year. So, with the MP coming out to willingly help us have a second mock to write, I am grateful,” she stated.
The Director also raised concerns about previous administrative policies, particularly the delinking of teachers from PTA engagements, which she said negatively impacted school-community relations and, by extension, student performance. Madam Ayinzoya expressed optimism that “the kind of energy from the MP and DCE” the issue of furniture deficit the district suffered for over 10 years would be addressed in the next academic year.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Talensi
