Placement of B.E.C.E. candidates into their various secondary schools usually brings about joy and happiness for those who made their first choice school. Those who are given their second, third, fourth and even fifth choice school feel disappointed.  Parents need to counsel such candidates immediately. They must know that no matter the secondary school one attends, with seriousness and hard work, one can equally do well in the final examination (WASSCE).

When the short code is given out, candidates are to buy 1gh unit and text their index number to the given short code, (1060) on all network has been used for the past two years. A text message would be sent into your inbox indicating the school you have been placed.

If you don’t have the scratch card, go to any ADB bank and buy one. If you already have the scratch card,  print out the school placement form from any internet café. Take the printed form for your school’s headmaster/headmistress to fill and endorse. Don’t forget to send your passport picture for endorsement also. You can then call the secondary school you have been placed into before going there with your parents to collect your prospectus.

If you can get the prospectus of the school you have been placed to from a friend, do get it and encourage your parents to start buying your school items. Please don’t go to your secondary school empty handed. They might demand for their school fees before they even give out the prospectus and that would be in a form of Banker’s Draft.

School fees

School fees varies for most secondary schools. Most Cape Coast Schools took GH450-GH500 Ghana Cedis from fresher’s last year. This year, parents should prepare about GH500 – GH600 for their wards. Most schools do not accept cash, so please ensure you have your Banker’s draft before going to the school if you know the amount to be paid.

Text Books

Most secondary schools provide some text books as part of the admission fees. Parents should wait for their wards to settle down in the school, know what textbooks are required before going to buy them. The only textbook I might recommend before your ward goes to school is Akiola Core Mathematics Text Book and Akiola Elective Maths Text Book. The GAST integrated Science textbook is also a must.

Wish all freshers a memorable first term in school.

Since most graduands wanted to know the cut off mark for most senior high schools, I have listed the cut off marks of some of the best Senior Secondary Schools in Ghana based on the 2009 placement.

The blank spaces would be filled as soon as i obtain those information.

For a single batch to produce nine students scoring aggregate  one in all the subjects is a great achievement for Mayflower. The class of 2011 have set a new record in the school. This record can be compared to what the class of 2008 produced. Aggregate 06 for all students.

In 2007, our worst  aggregate was 08

In 2008, our worst  aggregate was 06

In 2009, our worst aggregate was 08

In 2010, our worst aggregate was 09.

And in 2011, our worst aggregate was 08

We give all the glory to God  for our excellent results.

Below is the details of the 2011 B.E.C.E results

Total Number of Candidates Presented           24

School Placements into the various secondary schools has been encouraging. Visit mayflower.edu.gh/alumni to see which schools our graduands have made since 2006.

The West African Examination Council (W.A.E.C)  seems to have released the results on time year. Kudos for their effort. The only glitch however was that their website  seemed to jam up immediately they announced the release of the result. For almost two days,  candidates could not check on their results, however, they rectified the situation on time.

By now, The Computerized School Placement Secretariat would have obtained the result from WAEC, Placement of Candidates into their various Secondary Schools would be announced latest by the second week in August. I am only praying that the kind of confusion that was generated last year does not repeat itself this time around. Where candidates who checked via the mobile phone got the school they chose only for them to go and print the information on the internet and realize that they had been placed in a different school altogether.

Another issue bothering me is the advantage pupils in the public school have over those in the private school. The recent order of the President to the Secretariat that students living in the community where the secondary school is located should be given 30% slot provides plenty room for headmasters and headmistress to abuse.

Cape Coast alone boast of about 6-7 good secondary schools, that is their natural resources. Western region now has oil. They demanded for 10% of the revenue, was it given? I believe all Ghanians deserve equal opportunities into these schools. If you deserve it, fight for it.

Ayeekoo however goes to honourable form three graduands who just completed. To get 22 aggregate 06, 1 aggregate 07 and 1 aggregate 08 is not a fluke. They have done extremely well. I am planning of a mega party for you after the graduation. You have made me proud for the record you have set.

Below is th details of their results for the nine subjects they wrote.

9 Students had 9 ones            Agg    06

8  Students had 8 ones           Agg    06

5 Students had 7 ones            Agg     06

1 Student had 5 ones               Agg     07

1 Student had 4 ones               Agg     08

Once again, Ayeekoo Class of  2011.

Students can now check the schools they have been place into by texting their index number to 1060 using all networks. However, reports reaching me indicate that all is not well this time around. Students with five ones and six ones are not being placed. Those who get placed either get their fifth choice or sixth choice. What is going on this year?

I would encourage all students who where not placed to exercise  patience. I am very sure that if the second placement is done by October 20th, you would be placed. If still you don’t like the secondary school you have been placed into, look for a private secondary school in your neigbourhood  to attend.

To ensure fairness in all subsequent placements, I would urge the Ghana Education Service and  W.A.E.C to establish a commission made up of a group of IT experts who would scrutinize the algorithm used for the placements to ensure it is really free and fair to all B.E.C.E candidates.

To those who made their first choice schools,  Ayekoo. And to those  who missed it narrowly and are crying bitterly, take heart,  all is not lost. Your ultimate goal is getting to the university. You can make it no matter the senior secondary school you attend. Just accept the school you have been posted to and never forget your ultimate target.

The B.E.C.E result is out. Right now, what all graduands want to know is which school they have been placed into.  Information reaching me from reliable sources indicate that it would take probably up to the end of August before candidates can check their results via their mobile phone by texting their index number to a specific code number.

My hope is that the new company in charge of the placement will do everything within their means to correct all  mistakes before the final placements is released. I don’t think parents would take it lightly if their son is placed in Holy Child School for instance. We have passed that stage of mistake long time ago.

My greatest worry is not even about the placement but rather about the accommodation into the various senior secondary schools. Where are the first year students going to stay?  Will the army really put up tents for them to lodge in?

The four years Senior High School introduced by President Kuffuor has brought untold problems to the sitting government. Not only must they provide classrooms for the first year students, but they must also build new dormitories and expand dinning halls, unfortunately, not much  has been done.

Most schools are yet to complete their classrooms for the first years, rumour spreading in town is that some would go to school next year February. Some schools have registered their students for 2010  Nov-Dec W.A.S.S.C.E and they intend to send all their form threes’ student home in order to make room for the first years.

Since majority of the senior high schools are building their classrooms in a rush in order to ensure the first years re-open on time, the Minister of education must personally put system in place to monitor the activities of contractors putting up the school buildings in various secondary schools. We don’t want another tragedy of school building collapsing on students before government  starts scrutinizing  projects awarded to contractors.

To all graduands waiting to check which secondary school they have been placed into, I am really praying your heart desires would be met.

W.A.E.C. seems to have released the B.E.C.E results on time this year. I just hope the computerized school placements of candidates would follow very soon. On the average, candidates did not perform too well.

The difficulty  in getting aggregate six out of five subjects is now very obvious since there is no more Agricultural Science, R.M.E, Pre-Technical Skills and Pre-Vocational Skills to cover up for the English, Maths and Science.

The results I have seen so far suggest all is not very well in most schools. Candidates with aggregate lower than 10  should not worry much since it looks likely that they might just make their first choice school.

To check the results online however, graduands should first obtain scratch cards from the following w.a.e.c head offices. Scratch cards can also be obtained from post offices nationwide.

Graduands with scratch can follow the following steps to check their results online.

1.    Start a new browser eg (Internet Explorer, mozilla) and type  www.ghana.waecdirect.org in the    address bar

2.   Enter your B.E.C.E Index number (9 digits) eg 102228001

3.   Select the Examination type,   in your case ( B.E.C.E.)

4.   Select the examination year, in your case  ( 2009 )

5.  Enter  the card serial number found on the reverse side of your scratch card.

6.  Enter the PIN ( the 12 -digit number on the scratch card)

7.  Confirm your index number and examination year

8.  Click on submit and wait for the display in the pop up window

9.  Print your B.e.c.e. results

Note

Once the results is released, scratch cards become scarce. Graduands should get one on time.

You cannot give your scratch card to your friend to check his/her results after it has been used once.

You can only use your scratch card to check your result three times.

I am really wishing all  graduands all the best of luck.

At long last, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has released providential results of the April 2009 Basic Education  Certificate Examination (BECE).

According to the Public Affairs Manager of WAEC, Mrs. Agnes Teye Cudjoe, the results are yet to be forwarded to the Ghana Education Service for it to be used in the Computerised School Selection and Placement System. However, the results is available online so graduands can get a WAEC scratch from post office nationwide to check their results online.

When compared to last year’s results, the number of candidates that had their results cancelled due to examination malpractices was lower.

Issues that would have to be looked at critically is the categorization of Senior High Schools. A lot of students might loose their first choice school if their scores is not very strong. Stakeholders would have to debate on this because this new method of placing students in my opinion is not the best.

Even though w.a.e.c. is yet to release the 2009 b.e.c.e results, anxious graduands all over the country cannot hide their disappointment to what seems to be a delay by w.a .e.c. officials in releasing the 2009 b.e.c.e. results.

To check the results online however, graduands should first obtain scratch cards from the following w.a.e.c head offices. Scratch cards can also be obtained from post offices nationwide.

Graduands with scratch can follow the following steps to check their results online.

1.    Start a new browser eg (Internet Explorer, mozilla) and type  www.ghana.waecdirect.org in the           address bar

2.   Enter your B.E.C.E Index number (9 digits) eg 102228001

3.   Select the Examination type,   in your case ( B.E.C.E.)

4.   Select the examination year, in your case  ( 2009 )

5.  Enter  the card serial number found on the reverse side of your scratch card.

6.  Enter the PIN ( the 12 -digit number on the scratch card)

7.  Confirm your index number and examination year

8.  Click on submit and wait for the display in the pop up window

9.  Print your B.e.c.e. results

Note

Once the results is released, scratch cards become scarce. Graduands should get one on time.

You cannot give your scratch card to your friend to check his/her results after it has been used once.

You can only use your scratch card to check your result three times.

I am really wishing all 2009 graduands all the best of luck.