Ghana: During BECE – GES director, we will search hijabs and pants.

The Ghana Education Service says it will increase surveillance during the upcoming Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E), including searching candidates’ hijabs and pants.

According to Kate Biney, Municipal Education Director of Effia Kwesimintsim Municipality, the move is intended to reduce the possibility of the exams being cancelled due to malpractices.

According to Starrfm.com.gh, she said this during an interview on a Takoradi-based radio station.

“ …West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) has given the needed orientation for supervisors and made it clear what is expected of them. This time we are going to do thorough searching so if you hear we are frisking their armpits etcetera understand; as males will search males and females attend to females,” the news website quoted as saying.

“We will feel the hijabs if it contains any material aside their hair. We know Muslim ladies do not expose their hair so we will not remove it but when we are suspicious we will ask you to remove it and shake it and wear it again and proceed.”

Biney explained that authorities have picked up lessons from incidents that characterized previous examinations, and would not leave anything to chance this time around.

“Due to what happened during WASSCE, WAEC has information on how candidates hide foreign material, as now it is not as open as in their shoes. They now hide it in their panties as menstrual pads, in between their belts, even, they wear double nose masks and hide it in between, under their neck collars, and our Muslim colleagues’ hijabs will be searched,” she emphasised.

She emphasized that the actions of a few candidates will not be allowed to lead to the cancellation of many other deserving and honest candidates, hence the proactive approach.

BECE is set to begin across the country on Monday, October 17, 2022.

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