Editorial
Don’t leave students stranded
● Government must do well to remit the students
Permit me to comment on the delay in payment of stipends and bursaries to Ghanaian students studying on government scholarship abroad. The complaints keep coming back and it is now more or less an annual ritual.
The latest is that of Ghanaian medical students in Cuba who are lamenting over the non-payment of their stipends for the past seven months.
The students, according to reports, are living on the benevolence of colleagues and friends as assurances from the Scholarship Secretariat have yielded no results.
I have been wondering why successive governments somewhat do not seem to prioritise the needs of students studying abroad.
Studying abroad comes with its own challenges and it can get worse when students run out of cash. We all admit the unfavourable economic conditions in the country but it is not ideal for the government to delay payments for up to seven months.
The Ghana-Cuba students are just one group and I believe trainees elsewhere may be suffering similar fate. If it is, indeed, the case that the these statutory payments cannot be made on time, those in charge should communicate or make the necessary arrangements with the authorities abroad so the students are given some lifeline or breathing space.
I am, by this letter, adding my voice to that of the affected students in Cuba and asking the government of Ghana to act with dispatch.
Frank Bruce,
Achimota-Accra.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will administer the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Ghana from Monday, May 4, 2026, to Monday, May 11, 2026, for both school and private candidates.
For Junior High School (JHS) students, it is a crucial evaluation that covers both core and elective areas, such as English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, French, and Ghanaian Language among others.
A total of 619,985 candidates comprising 304,273 males and 315,712 females have been registered to write this final examination for JHS students.
In order to prevent examination misconduct, which damages the legitimacy of the educational system and skews the results of student assessments, candidates are expected to follow the regulations of the examination by WAEC.
Anyone found engaging in examination misconduct will face harsh penalties under WAEC Act 719.
As a result, the Spectator is advising all candidates to be cautious of the directives and make a commitment to always act morally.
We also implore supervisors and invigilators to refrain from any wrongdoing because invigilators have found themselves in trouble in the past.
It is common to feel anxious at examination but we advise candidates not to panic during this time because if they do, their brains will not be able to recall what they have learned.
Relax and you will be able to recall the majority of the material you have studied, but if for some reason you are unable to remember do not be afraid. Leaving a question unanswered is better than receiving a sanction from WAEC due to examination misconduct.
During this time, we expect parents to help their children by providing a peaceful, distraction-free study space and making sure they eat healthily and get enough sleep.
We wish every BECE candidate all the best for the examination, including good health, mental clarity, and protection.
Dear Editor
I wish to use your esteemed platform to welcome Mr Carlos Queiroz, our new coach for our senior national male football team, the Black Stars.
We have read a lot about him and I think looking at his CV, he represents our biggest ‘catch’ in this business.
When his name came up initially, some of us doubted whether we could land him considering our scarce resources.
A coach with experiences with Real Madrid, Manchester United at club sides and national team romance with South Africa and Iran speaks volumes of what he brings to the table.
However, we must not forget that CVs don’t play football. Football is played on the pitch and it is therefore the reason why the noise about his arrival must end and watch out for what he brings to the table.
Currently, we don’t have players we could call world class. Those that comes near that label like Mohammed Kudus and Mohammed Salisu are injured.
The only player making waves in Europe at the moment is Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City.
Carlos Queiroz is not coming as a magician. He would need players who are committed and very good enough. At this moment, we should be praying and supporting him to get the best out of our players.
Directly, I want to appeal to him to take a serious look at the players in individually and access their qualities before bringing them on board.
Some of the players are very good but have just failed or struggled to perform in the Black Stars jersey. One of his task must be to break that ice.
We need nothing bust the best for the World Cup. As Ghanaians let’s support Queiroz to get the best out of the players available.
Andy Muller,
Accra
