Education Experts Call for Urgent Reform of BECE to Align with Standard-Based Curriculum.
Two prominent voices in Ghana's education sector are calling for an immediate review of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to ensure it aligns with the country’s standard-based curriculum.
Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, former Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, and Dr. Peter Anti Partey, Executive Director of the Institute for Education Studies, have both expressed concerns about the current relevance of the BECE.
According to them, the examination still operates under a norm-referenced model, comparing students' performance to that of their peers, whereas the standard-based curriculum requires a criterion-referenced approach that evaluates learners against clearly defined learning outcomes.
Speaking on the matter, Professor Opoku-Amankwa stressed that the current BECE format is no longer fit for purpose. He explained that it does not reflect the goals of the new curriculum, which places emphasis on what students are expected to know and demonstrate at each level.
He therefore advocates for a new system of assessment that mirrors the structure and intent of the curriculum. He also recommends a review of the current placement mechanism into senior high schools, suggesting that it should be based on holistic evaluative assessments rather than being restricted by fixed subject combinations.
Dr. Peter Anti Partey echoed this position, describing the BECE as an ineffective tool for measuring the competencies targeted by the standard-based curriculum. In his view, reforming the BECE to adopt a criterion-referenced framework is not optional, it is necessary if Ghana’s education system is to achieve the intended outcomes of the curriculum reform.
In response to these concerns, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has maintained that the BECE remains relevant. WAEC also noted that some adjustments have already been introduced to better reflect the revised curriculum. However, both Professor Opoku-Amankwa and Dr. Partey argue that these steps are not sufficient. They caution that maintaining the existing model may result in exam results that do not accurately represent students’ true competencies.
As Ghana continues to implement its standard-based curriculum, these calls for a review of the BECE raise important questions about how well the country’s assessment systems support curriculum delivery and learner development.
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