GES warn JHS heads against charging illegal BECE registration fees

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has cautioned heads of basic schools to desist from charging Junior High School final-year students unauthorized Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) registration fees.

GES in a statement sighted by Pretertiary.com said its caution follows an allegation on social media platforms that some Heads of Basic schools are imposing unauthorized BECE registration fees on final-year students.

It emphasized that the alleged amount charged by some Heads of Junior High Schools as registration fees for the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is unauthorized adding that all Heads are advised to cease this practice immediately.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) in the statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Cassandra Twum Ampofo has instructed Regional Directors to alert District Directors to monitor the situation and caution all Heads of Basic schools.

“Any Head who has collected such unauthorized fees is required to refund the monies promptly. Failure to comply will result in sanctions.

Heads of Basic schools are reminded that late registration of candidates will not be permitted. Therefore, all eligible candidates must be registered within the stipulated registration period set by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC),” GES stated in the press statement.

This comes after WAEC opened the portal for registering BECE candidates on Monday, March 11, 2024, saying it would be closed on Friday, April 19, 2024.

The Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, John Kapi, stated that with the introduction of the common core curriculum, school candidates for BECE would be examined differently from private candidates due to changes in the syllabus.

“While school candidates would be examined based on the common core curriculum, the private candidates would be examined on the old syllabus. All private candidates are therefore to note and be careful when selecting their subjects.”

Mr. Kapi said the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) registration cost per candidate is GH¢214.01, while the WASSCE registration fee for entry in seven to nine subjects is GH¢465.00.

“The figure is exclusive of the fees for practical or oral tests, which range between GH¢14.50 and GH¢19.50 per test,” he added.

Mr. Kapi stated that the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for school candidates was only available to students in their third or final year of regular Junior High School (JHS).

He said it was against the examination’s rules and regulations for schools to register students who had not been enrolled in Junior High schools from their first year and had moved to the third year without the required continuous assessment records.

Relatedly, the management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced the dates to conduct the 2025 edition of the BECE and WASSCE for School Candidates to be administered to pre-tertiary final-year students in the country.

In a letter addressed to all Regional Directors of Education, GES stated that the BECE for school candidates will take place from June 9 to 16, 2025, while the WASSCE for school candidates will run from August 4 to September 19, 2025.

The letter, signed by Prince Charles Agyemang-Duah, Director of the Schools and Instructions Division sighted by Pretertiary.com, GES called for timely preparation for the national and international examinations.

The management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has instructed Regional Directors of Education to inform  Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Directors of Education of the latest developments about the BECE and WASSCE.