By Boris Esono in Buea
The written part of the 2017 June session of the General
Certificate of Education, GCE, continues in centers across the country with
students who did not register refused entry into the exam halls. This goes
against the instructions of the MINESEC who ordered that authorities of the GCE
Board should permit any students willing to sit the exams to do so.
Subverting
the MINESEC’s instructions, some chief examiners in Buea refused unregistered
but ready candidates from entering the halls and also taking the exams. Some of
these rejected candidates left in tears. A case in point was in BGS Molyko
where this reporter visited.
“I came
to register about two weeks ago but I was told to come on the day when we are
to write and get registered. On coming to register, I was told I can not write
because I have not registered. But when I told them about my situation they
asked me to go out since I am not on the final list,” lamented a girl who said
she came all the way from Bamenda.
Another
rejected candidate said: “it is quite sad as even on the Monday morning I was
to write, it was broadcasted over the state media that students who have not
yet registered should go to various centers and get themselves registered so
they can take the examination. But coming to register so I can write, I was
told I can not register since the date to register has passed. I have no choice
than to prepare for next year”.
Despite
these short-comings, Governor Bernard OkaliaBilai still expressed satisfaction
at the way way the exams were progressing.
“I am very satisfied because the candidates
are there and they are writing their examinations despite some disturbances. It
is a good sign as all the various officials have made it posssible in such a
way that even those unregistered candidates are authorised to write”. “Security
has been reinforeced in all the various centers to make sure that these
candidates write in a serine atmosphere”.
For his
part, the GCE registrar, HumphryEkemaMonono, noted that “after close to one
week of writing, I am very satisfied with the organization and the enthusiasm
of the candidates. Worries about lack of spaces, benches and materials have all
been taken care of. If any further logistics problems should arise we are there
to take care of them. In fact, we are going to handle the various worries as
they come up.”
An
innovation in this year’s GCE is the starting of the afternoon papers at 1pm
and no longer 2pm as it used to be before. This is because of the social
tension in the Anglophone regions. Closing early will give candidates enough
time to prepare for the next subject and to allow for candidates to go back
home early.
Parents accompany children
Just
like it was witnessed during the writing of the Government Common Entrance
Examination in the Basic sector, parents, guardians, and love ones have all
been turning up in great numbers to accompany their children to the writing
centers and to wait until they finish for them to go back home.
“I am here with my child to make sure that he
is writing in a safe atmosphere. With all the tension going on, I can be able
to take him home if anything arises”
This
year’s examination has seen a drop in the number of candidates seating the
examinations. I34 000 students registered with 78 000 present so far for the
Ordinary and Advanced Levels. 6000 entered for the Baccaleureat in English.
However,
these figures will go higher according to the GCE Board registrar with
candidates who were accommodated without being registered.
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