BECE subjects have not been reduced to five-Education Minister 

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, has debunked media speculations that the Basic Education Certificate Examinations have been reduced from eight to five subjects. 'The subjects remained the same. We are not changing the subjects as they have been discussed in the media space,' he said this, in Accra at a media briefing to update the public on the education sector. He said any change to the country's educational system would involve stakeholder discussions for majority acceptance. Dr Adutwum urged the public to treat such information with a 'pinch of salt,' adding that the Government was focused on transformational education that was fit for purpose. He said there had been improvement in the West African Senior Secondary Examinations test scores, adding that the average performance had improved from 38.73 per cent in 2006 to 69.73 per cent in 2023. He said the Government had introduced serialisation and randomization of examination questions to address examination malpractices. On school infra structure, the Minister said the Government was building schools in the Ashanti, Northern, and other regions to improve learning outcomes. 'We have started construction of middle Junior High School (JHS) and community schools from kindergarten to the Junior High School level with science laboratories and equipment,' he said. Dr Adutwum stated that in April 2024, the Government would commission the projects to enrol students for the new academic year in September. On STEM, he said the Government had constructed new STEM schools across the country, including Accra High School and Abomosu, to compete with the rest of the world. 'We have started a course in aviation and aerospace in some Junior High Schools to develop their pathway in the engineering profession,' he said. On Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the Minister said the sector had been reinforced, where students get hands-on experience of what they have studied. He said the country had built the Anyinam TVET Centre of Excelle nce in the Eastern Region and the Accra TVET schools in East Legon in Accra. He urged politicians to avoid politicisation of every project and focus on the national interest, saying we need to stop the 'slash and burn politics.' The Government, he stressed, was committed to ensuring quality educational learning outcomes with the support of stakeholders. Source: Ghana News Agency