The Head of Public Affairs at the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), John K. Kapi, has defended the current structure of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), cautioning against proposals to reduce the number of examinable subjects.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, May 7, Mr Kapi argued that limiting the number of subjects at the basic level could restrict the breadth of learning for pupils and affect how they prepare academically.
He explained that, given the maturity level of candidates, exposing them to a wider range of subjects helps ensure a more balanced education.
“If you look at the level at which we are assessing these children—their maturity level and all of that—if we are limiting them to just a few subjects, I believe that what we’re going to do is simply to be limiting the children to just a few things that they pay more attention to,” he said.
He added that students might prioritise certain subjects if the curriculum is narrowed, noting that some areas of learning, such as general papers, could be neglected if students perceive them as less important in assessments.
“I’ve heard you asking whether it should not be the case where the children will not pay too much attention to a general paper because they think that it’s really not going to be assessed, you know, it’s not going to be anything big to be assessed,” he added.
His comments come in response to calls from education think tank Africa Education Watch, which has criticised the BECE structure as unfair and overly stressful for candidates.
The group has proposed reforms, including reducing the number of examinable subjects to four core areas, to ease the burden on students.
