A concerned teacher and parent in the Upper East Region, Ayoo Aluman Luke, is calling for a review of the grading system used for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), arguing that the current approach does not adequately reflect Ghana’s competency-based Common Core Programme.
Mr. Ayoo is advocating for the adoption of a criterion-referenced grading system, under which candidates would be assessed against clearly defined learning standards and competencies rather than being graded in relation to the performance of their peers.
In a policy proposal addressed to education authorities, he argued that the implementation of the Common Core Programme requires an assessment system that reflects its emphasis on knowledge, skills, values and attitudes.
According to him, the Common Core Programme is designed to equip learners with competencies for lifelong learning, responsible citizenship and sustainable national development, making it necessary for the assessment system to measure the extent to which learners have attained the expected competencies.
Mr. Ayoo said the current norm-referenced grading approach, which compares candidates’ performance and ranks them relative to one another, could result in learners who demonstrate the required competencies receiving lower grades because of the performance of their peers.
He argued that such a system could create inequities in the placement of learners into Senior High Schools and potentially discourage genuine learning.
The concerned teacher and parent also linked the intense competition associated with norm-referenced grading to examination malpractice, arguing that candidates may become more focused on outperforming their peers than demonstrating mastery of the required learning outcomes.
He believes criterion-referenced grading would provide a more appropriate assessment framework for the Common Core Programme because learners would be awarded grades based on established performance standards.
“Every learner who demonstrates the expected level of competency is awarded the corresponding grade, irrespective of how others perform,” he stated.
Mr. Ayoo said adopting the proposed system could promote fairness, transparency and equity in the assessment and placement of learners into Senior High Schools.
He further argued that it would ensure that grades more accurately reflect individual learners’ competency levels and mastery of the Common Core learning outcomes.
According to him, criterion-referenced grading could also reduce unhealthy competition and lessen incentives for examination malpractice while improving public confidence in the credibility and fairness of the BECE.
He is therefore calling on the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), to begin the process of transitioning from the current grading system to a criterion-referenced model.
Mr. Ayoo believes such a reform would strengthen the validity, credibility, transparency and fairness of student assessment and ensure that Ghana’s national examination system is better aligned with the competency-based objectives of the Common Core Programme.
He said the proposed reform could also promote equal opportunities for learners and help Ghana’s education system respond more effectively to the demands of the 21st century.
Mr. Ayoo, who is based in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, described his proposal as a call for policy consideration rather than opposition to the BECE, urging education authorities to examine the implications of the current grading system in light of the objectives of the Common Core Programme.
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