New Timetable For 2014 BECE

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will at the end of this month come out with a new timetable for this year�s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The timetable will be revised to take care of the concerns raised by various stakeholders in the education sector. One of such stakeholders was the Mathematical Association of Ghana (MAG) which had appealed to WAEC to amend the 2014 BECE timetable to prevent candidates from writing mathematics and science, perceived to be difficult subjects on the same day. It said the paring of the Mathematics Paper 1 and 2 and the Integrated Science Paper 1 and 2 on the same day was not favourable to the candidates. The Greater Accra President of MAG, Mr Jacob Kakra Wilson-Sey, said considering the fact that most students deemed mathematics and science as difficult subjects, it was inappropriate to have these two subjects written on the same day. However, the Head of Public Affairs of WAEC, Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, told the Junior Graphic that the complaints of stakeholders had been taken into consideration and that the final timetable would be revised. �This year, the timetable has changed, candidates will write the examination in five days instead of six days,� she said. According to her, two subjects would be written in a day, adding that for instance, paper two of a particular subject would be written immediately after paper one. However, there would be a break before the commencement of the second examination for the day. Normally, she said after the timetable was drawn, it was sent to the Ghana Education Service (GES) for its approval. Asked if the change was not going to affect the students, she said that would not happen as there was ample time before the examination was written in June. Meanwhile, a section of final year students in both public and private schools who earlier spoke to the Junior Graphic expressed fear that writing these two subjects on the same day would create some inconveniences for them. One of such students interviewed, Ms Ethel Mensah, said in general, mathematics and science were difficult subjects and having to write both papers on the same day would impose some burden on the candidates. Mr Isaac Allottey, a parent also implored WAEC to reconsider the final timetable in order not to stress candidates unduly.