More nationals of the Republic of Togo are beginning to show interest in examinations organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Although Togo is not a member of WAEC, a number of Togolese nationals have taken part in both the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).
At the recent private BECE for resitters and first timers in February this year, 50 candidates from Togo took part in the examination at Denu in the Volta Region.
What’s more, seven candidates have also registered to write this year’s WASSCE which took off on Friday, April 1, 2016. They are made up of three males and four females.
“The fact that they are from Togo does not mean that Togo is part of WAEC. These are students who have gone through our curriculum and our people have gone to verify that they actually went through the curriculum,” the Head of Public Affairs of WAEC, Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, told the Junior Graphic.
The WASSCE, she said, was an international examination, and this practice of others participating in it is allowed.
A total of 274,255 final-year senior high school students are writing this year’s WASSCE, which officially began with Oral English.
The candidates who are from 897 SHSs are made up of 141,524 males and 132,731 females.
They will write the examination in 667 centres in the country.
Apart from Ghana, the WASSCE will also be written in four other West African countries: Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
Regional breakdown
According to statistics made available by WAEC, the Ashanti Region will present the highest number of candidates for the examination. The region has 62,120 candidates made up of 31,285 males and 30,835 females.
Following the Ashanti Region is the Eastern Region with 40,683 candidates: 19,935 males and 20,748 females.
The Central Region has the third highest number of candidates of 29,469: 14,856 males and 14,613 females.
The others are Greater Accra Region, 28,777 candidates (14,448 males and 14,329 females); Northern Region, 25,508 candidates (14,976 males and 10,532 females); Brong Ahafo Region, 24,831 candidates (13,114 males and 11,717 females); Volta Region, 22,504 candidates (12,143 males and 10,361 females); Western Region, 18,772 candidates (9,245 males and 9,527 females); Upper East Region, 13,011 candidates (6,732 males and 6,279 females) and the Upper West Region, 8,573 candidates (4,787 males and 3,786 females).
Meanwhile, candidates have expressed optimism in passing the examination.
