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.

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.

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.

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.

OFFICE	LOCATION	TEL NO
Accra	Ghana National Office, Examination Loop (Behind Ridge Hospital)	233-021-685901- 4
Kumasi	WAEC Branch Office, Near Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI)	233-051-26064 / 34452 / 34454/34448
Sekondi	WAEC Branch, Office, Near Regional Administration, Sekondi	233-031-46334 / 46041
Cape Coast	WAEC Branch Office, Adisadel Estate	233-042-32878
Koforidua	WAEC Branch Office, Old Estate Road	233-081-20922 / 20923 / 20075 / 20921
Ho	WAEC Branch Office, Accra Road (Opposite SCC/Ghana Highways Authority Offices)	233-091-28254
Sunyani	WAEC Branch Office, (Behind Ghana Legion and District Assembly Offices)	233-061-27016 / 24462
Tamale	WAEC Branch Office, (Kalpohin Estates)	233-071-23092 / 23421
Bolgatanga	WAEC Branch Office, SOE Residential Area (Near Catering Rest House)	233-072-23232 / 24267
Wa	WAEC Branch Office, Regional Administration	233-0756-22278

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.

If problems that were encountered during the early stages of running the Computerized School Selection and Placement system (CSSPS) are to be avoided, then G.E.S and W.A.E.C. are to ensure that those in charge of the Placement software do thorough work. Issues like a male candidate being placed in a female school or vice versa should be a thing of the past.

Problems arising from the second registration such as change of names and the change in the order of selection of schools must be looked at thoroughly because I believe no candidate will be happy if his/her results go to another candidate

Students on the other hand should exercise patience for G.E.S to come out with problems free results. Rumours are already in the system that the 2009 B.E.C.E results have been placed on the Internet. That’s a big lie. The earliest date candidates can expect any results from W.A.E.C. is early September.

On the D-day of the trip, students trooped to the school grounds as early as 5:30am in their numbers. The well equipped bus took off at exactly 7:00am. A journey of about four hours  lasted for five hours because the bus had to stop a few times to enable students  purchase snacks and to respond to nature’s call.

On the way to the Wli Agumatsa falls, we passed on the Adomi Bridge and the students were so fascinated about how the bridge was built. Various towns we came across after crossing the bridge includes; Peki, Kpeve, Alavanyo kpeme, Kpando and some other villages. Finally we reached our destination were the falls is located.

On the way to the falls we passed various mountains including the Afadjato Mountain, since the falls was high we could see it on reaching our destination; we were welcomed by the two German couples who reside near the falls. The falls takes its source from the Togo Agumatsa Mountain and that is how it derived the name “Wli Agumatsa Waterfalls”.

The Wli Agumatsa falls has a height of  sixty meters and it is the highest water fall in West Africa. On the way to the lower falls, we crossed nine rivers which had been bridged. On reaching the falls we were briefed about the history of the falls and how it derived its name. We were later informed by our guide that behind the falls lays one of Ghana’s neighbouring countries, Togo. The Guide informed us that we could have a swim in the falls so far as we do not pass the danger zone. After we had swam, we all grouped to take pictures at the falls.

After we had taken both group and individual photographs, we all left the falls and returned to the refreshment bar located at the falls lodge and had our snacks.

The journey back home took us  six hours since the driver had to slow down because it was raining heavily.

We arrived back home around 9:00pm very worn-out and tired. After saying a prayer to thank God for bringing us back safely, we dispatched to our various homes.

I just couldn’t believe that the 2009 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE )was about to start. Wasn’t it just like some few months ago when the class of the intellectuals graduated, and we have gone one full year? How time flies.

Mayflower pupils would be competing with 394,000 other pupils all over the country for placements into the best senior high schools nationwide. I had explained to them on numerous occasions that it wasn’t just about getting 10 ones but it  had to do with the strength of your ones in the compulsory core subjects and two other highest scored subjects.

What haven’t we done for them? They have written the highest number of external mocks and internal mocks in the history of the school. I have disciplined them after failing to obtain cut off marks in their various tests.  The teachers have done their best and I believe if they do the rest success would be assured.

One thing I have observed over the past four years of presenting candidates for the B.E.C.E is that a united class has a greater chance of doing extremely well and that is one attribute of the ‘’huddle class of ideologue’’. They are united in all aspects. I sincerely wish you the very best of luck in your upcoming examinations.