The Mayor of Kumasi, Hon. Richard Ofori Agyemang, has called on students sitting for the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to stay focused and avoid examination malpractices.
According to the Mayor, the examination is an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate what they have learned over the years, and he urged them to eschew pressure and strive to pass well to continue their education.
Hon. Richard Ofori Agyemang made this call when he led a team from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and the Metro Education Directorate to monitor some selected BECE centers in the Kumasi Metropolis on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. The team visited Opoku Ware SHS, Asanteman SHS, Adventist SHS, and Serwaa Nyarko SHS to assess the conduct of the examination and offer support to the candidates.
In a remarkable display of commitment to education and reformation, the Kumasi Central Prisons presented five male inmates to participate in the 2025 BECE. The inmates, aged between 20 and 25 years, are writing their exams at the Bantama exam center. The leader of the inmates, Mr. Arthur, highlighted some of the challenges facing the inmates who are willing to study, including limited access to classrooms and textbooks.
The Metro Director of Education, Mr. David Oppong, urged the candidates to encourage their peers who are not taking part in the examination to participate so that they can benefit from the placement system. A total of 9,846 candidates are sitting for this year’s BECE in the Kumasi Metropolis, comprising 4,693 boys and 5,153 girls.
The Mayor’s call to BECE candidates to stay focused and avoid malpractice serves as a reminder of the importance of academic integrity. As the candidates navigate this critical examination period, they are encouraged to draw inspiration from the determination of the inmates who are also participating in the BECE. With the support of the KMA and the Metro Education Directorate, the candidates can achieve their academic goals and secure a bright future.
