A little over half a million boys and girls yesterday began writing the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) across the country.
For parents, teachers and the candidates themselves these are stressful moments full of anxiety, normal feelings at such times anyway.
After a year shy of a decade, the kids are being tested on the lessons they learnt during the period.
The state, parents and teachers have all invested in the kids’ education this far, in motley forms hence the justifiable anxiety. The quality and effectiveness of the knowledge imparted to the kids and their preparedness for further education on the subsequent academic rungs are being tested this week.
The outcome of the examination will therefore, reflect not only the success of the candidates but their teachers’ and by extension parents whose contribution towards the learning process of the kids both in the classroom and outside it cannot be over-emphasised.
The basic level of education which is what the kids have just completed and being tested upon is critical in the development of the human resource base of the country.
It is the appreciation of this fact which has informed the continuous upgrading of the curriculum of education at the basic level over the years and the investments made by the state.
The thought of examination malpractices whenever candidates commence writing their papers is something we have not been able to avoid over the years because of the occasional appearance of the anomaly during such times.
Little wonder officials involved in managing the ongoing exercise have been warned to desist from any activity that would compromise the integrity of the examination.
Being their first public examination many tests lying ahead of them the kids should not be introduced to such malpractices which are traits of impropriety.
It smacks of irresponsibility on the part of adults who engage in such anomalous activities the motive for which in some instances is to give the schools they represent a high rating among others.
Those who are found to be condoning this image denting activity to our educational system should be sanctioned and banned from nearing public examinations for good.
The growing number of candidates taking part in this first public examination for pupils is a reflection of the appreciating statistics of school attendance which is good.
Although there are still many children not in the classroom who should have been there we still can pat each other on the back that at last things are beginning to change for the better.
With the free SHS policy in full flight and free meals at the basic level there is no reason why some children should be roaming the streets.
We can only wish the candidates Godspeed.