Cape Coast,- A total of 80 Persons With Disability (PWD) of the 62,621 Junior High School candidates in the Central Region, including 44 females are participating in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
Ms Joana Beyebenwo Cobbinah, Regional Special Education Coordinator told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the figure represented a sharp increase from a total of 18 PWD candidates who wrote in 2020.
The PWDs are writing the examination in nine centres across the Region.
The centres are in Cape Coast, Awutu Senya, Efutu, Agona East, Upper Denkyira East, Fosu Municipal, Gomoa West, Awutu Senya East and Twifo Atti-Morkwa Districts.
Candidates with impairments including; low vision, hearing, learning or intellectual disabilities and physical challenges would be given extra time during the examinations.
The blind will use various braille types while paraplegics would be given recorders.
Social Studies and French Language are the first two papers being written on Monday.
Two hundred and one (201)Junior High Schools have been registered to write the 2021 BECE in 190 centres in the Region.
The total figure of 62,621 include; 1,331and 912 candidates from public schools and private schools respectively made up of 31,812 and 30,809 boys and girls.
Ms Cobbinah said the increase in PWD candidates formed part of moves by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and WAEC to ensure that students regardless of their predicaments were allowed to take part in the exams.
It is also to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all children to enhance their well-being.
She advised candidates against examination malpractices as that could mar their education and admonished parents to provide the needs of all candidates to enable them to come out successfully in their exams.
Any candidates who would be caught engaging in any form of examination malpractice could have their papers cancelled or prevented from writing the examination, Ms Cobbinah added.
Nonetheless, every candidate had the right to sit for the examination irrespective of circumstances such as pregnancy once he or she had registered.
They also have the right to report any invigilator they consider unfair or intimidating during the examination to the supervisor during or after the paper, she added.
Source: Ghana News Agency