News
Over 400 absentees recorded in 2025 BECE in Ashanti Region
A total of 487 registered candidates for the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Ashanti Region did not show up for the examination.
The absentees comprised 262 males and 225 females, with 144 reported to have travelled outside the region, and 21 alleged to be pregnant and decided to stay home.
Six candidates were reported to have passed away after registering to sit for the examination.
Mr Henry Osei Boateng, the Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, said 120,285 candidates were expected to write the examination in the region.
However, 119,798 candidates sat for the examination, which began on Wednesday, June 11 and ended on Wednesday, June 18 at 432 centres.
Mr Boateng revealed that 141 female candidates were identified as pregnant, while 71 were reported to be nursing mothers in the region.
He said all the candidates wrote nine to 11 subject papers based on the subjects they were taught in their respective schools.
The subject papers comprised Mathematics, Integrated Science, Social Studies, English Language, Career Technology and Ghanaian Language, Religious and Moral Education (RME), Computing, Creative Arts and Design and French and Arabic (for Muslim candidates).
Mr Boateng noted that there were no reports of examination malpractices in the region.
He, therefore, applauded the candidates, invigilators, and all other supervisors for a job well done to ensure a smooth examination process.
The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is an external examination written every year by Form Three Junior High School students across Ghana.
This is to pave the way for students with passing grades to progress to the secondary level of education to pursue their future aspirations.
This year, a total of 603,328 students, including 306,078 females and 297,250 males, registered to sit for the BECE across the country.
News
Steps underway to repeal L.I 2462 – Prez assures
President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghanaians that steps are underway to repeal Legislative Instrument 2462 as part of efforts to protect the country’s forests and water bodies.
During his media encounter at the Jubilee House, the president explained that the repeal will formalise the ban on mining in forest reserves and strengthen enforcement against illegal mining.
He stressed that his administration is committed to safeguarding the environment, reclaiming degraded reserves, and deploying more personnel to protect river bodies across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
9 forest reserves recovered from illegal mining – President Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has announced the recovery of nine forest reserves from illegal mining under his government’s intensified environmental protection drive.
Addressing journalists at the Jubilee House, the president explained that hundreds of excavators, water pumps and other equipment have been seized as part of the operation, while degraded areas are being reclaimed and restored.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to end mining in protected areas, deploy more personnel to safeguard river bodies and strengthen laws to secure Ghana’s natural resources for future generations.
This notwithstanding, President Mahama revealed that two of the retrieved forest reserves had gone back into the hands of illegal miners, however, adequate measures have been put in place to reclaim them.
By: Jacob Aggrey
