Wednesday, 21 June 2017

Unregistered candidates barred from writing



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.

No comments:

Post a Comment