The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Abas Apaak, has urged candidates writing the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to remain confident and focus on applying their knowledge as they continue their exams.

He gave the advice during a visit to Aburi Girls Senior High School in the Eastern Region, where he spoke directly to candidates and encouraged them to take their exams seriously while staying calm and writing the exams.

Some of the schools the Deputy Minister for Education visited include Aburi Girls Senior High School, Aburi Basic School, and Aburi Presby Technical Secondary School.

Dr Apaak reminded the candidates that their role goes beyond just preparing for the future, stressing that they are already shaping the country’s present.

“When we say you are the future, I think sometimes we are looking too far. You are the present and the future.” He said

He explained that what students do in their examinations and studies today will contribute to the Ghana they all hope to build in the coming years.

The Deputy Minister also expressed satisfaction with how the examinations had gone so far, noting that there had been no reported cases of examination malpractice or serious incidents in the centre.

He also encouraged candidates not to panic but to stay confident, especially since they had already completed several papers and were becoming more comfortable with the process.

“I’m sure the pressure and the tension have gone down. So be confident,” he told them.

Dr. Apaak assured candidates of government support as they progress to the next stage of their education, whether in technical and vocational education and training, traditional senior high schools, or specialised institutions.

He assured candidates of government support as they progress to the next stage of their education, whether in technical and vocational education and training, traditional senior high schools, or specialised institutions.

The Deputy Minister further advised students to focus on understanding and applying what they have learned rather than just memorising answers.

According to him, this is important because examinations now test application skills more than repetition.

“We have moved away from just regurgitating what you have learnt to application. So you must think and apply what you have been taught,” he explained.

Dr Apaak also encouraged students to give their best and remain hopeful, saying, “If you succeed, Ghana succeeds. If you fail, Ghana fails.”

Dr Apaak concluded by encouraging them to do their best and remain hopeful, saying their success is important for the country’s development.