Eduwatch Proposes Cutting BECE Subjects from 10 to 4 to Reduce Stress and Costs
Eduwatch calls for major BECE reform, proposing fewer subjects to reduce student stress and examination costs.
- Kofi Asare proposes reducing BECE subjects from about 10 to four core papers plus a General Paper.
- The proposal aims to ease student stress, shorten exam duration, and cut costs by up to 40%.
- He argues that BECE now functions mainly as a placement tool rather than a qualifying exam for senior high school.
The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Kofi Asare, has proposed a major reform of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), suggesting that the number of subjects should be reduced from about 10 or 11 to just four.
He argues that the change would ease student stress, shorten the exam period, and significantly reduce the cost of administering the examination, which is currently used mainly for senior high school placement.
Under his proposal, candidates would be assessed in English, Mathematics, General Science, and a combined General Paper. The General Paper would cover remaining subjects such as Social Studies, Computing, Ghanaian Language, and others, ensuring students still learn all areas of the curriculum.
At present, BECE candidates write multiple subjects including English Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Religious and Moral Education, Creative Arts and Design, Career Technology, Computing, Ghanaian Language, and French, with Arabic offered in Islamic schools.
Mr Asare explained that before the introduction of Free Senior High School (Free SHS), BECE served as a selection exam for secondary education. However, since the policy began in 2017, nearly all candidates—about 98%—now qualify for secondary school placement.
He said this shift means the exam is no longer about determining who enters senior high school, but mainly about assigning students to schools.
Given this, he questioned why students still sit for up to 10 subjects over several days for what is effectively a placement exercise.
He also argued that many education systems rely more on aptitude tests and continuous assessment rather than high-stakes multi-subject exams for placement decisions.
According to him, simplifying the BECE could reduce examination costs by up to 40%, saving Ghana over GH¢200 million annually, while also lowering pressure on students.
Addressing concerns that reducing subjects could weaken educational quality, he said there is no strong evidence to support that claim. He maintained that a streamlined system could still ensure full curriculum coverage through a consolidated General Paper.
