BECE Candidate Trades Examination Hall for Galamsey Pit: "Exams Can’t Buy Me Bread"

• A BECE candidate in the Ashanti Region has allegedly abandoned his exams to work in a galamsey pit, citing the need to "hustle for money"
• The candidate, registered at Duapompo M/A JHS in Juaben, reportedly skipped the first day of the ongoing exams
• Local authorities, including the Municipal Chief Executive and Education Director, have expressed surprise and promised to address his actions
• Zikira Abdul Bashir, the assistant head teacher of the An Nasr School Academy in Kumasi, shared her views on this matter in an interview with YEN.com.gh

A disturbing incident has been reported in the Ashanti Region, where a Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidate abandoned his exams to work in a galamsey pit.

The boy, who was registered to write his exams at Duapompo M/A JHS in Juaben, reportedly absented himself on the first day of the exams.

According to a teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, the BECE candidate told his peers that he was abandoning his exams to look for money because it was what would secure his future, not the exams.

"Exams can't buy me bread," he allegedly said.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Eunice Ohenewaa Ansu, was reportedly surprised by the news and promised to follow up on the matter with the headmaster.

“I’ll have to follow up with the headmaster. He wasn’t around when I came,” she said.

The Municipal Education Director, Phyllis Boateng, confirmed that the candidate had registered for the exams but stopped attending school.

Number of students taking the 2025 BECE

This year's BECE began on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, and will end on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. A total of 603,328 Ghanaian basic school pupils across the country will sit for the exams: 306,078 girls and 297,250 boys.

Out of this number, over 120,000 candidates are from schools in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, including pupils of Duapompo M/A JHS.

Watch the video below:

Concerns over boy's decision to ditch BECE

The incident has raised concerns about the allure of quick money and the potential consequences of prioritising short-term gains over education.

YEN.com.gh compiled a few of the reactions below:

@Kofi Dankyi Isblessed said:

"We live in a society where people glorify riches regardless of the source."

@Ibrah Sisu also said:

"Do your Research galamsey is hamoring unemploy university graduate so focus on jobs for the youth those going for bece thier brother graduate from university end up in galamsey to take good care of them."

@Nana Tutu Kwame commented:

"Awwwww this is sad."

@Mabel Asantewaa Amoah also commented:

"Hmmm. With the way these so called celebrities are condemning education lately, why won't he say that? They don't know people condemn what they they have no knowledge about."

Speaking to YEN.com.gh in an interview, Zikira Abdul Bashir, the assistant head teacher of the An Nasr School Academy in Kumasi, said the incident, though isolated, could undermine the value of education, with the most immediate impact being the perception that formal education, symbolised by the BECE, is not as valuable.

"If a student sees immediate financial gain from illegal mining as more appealing than completing their basic education, it suggests that the long-term benefits of schooling are not sufficiently apparent or compelling to them or their community," she said.

"The BECE is meant to be a stepping stone to secondary education and future opportunities. When a candidate abandons it for 'galamsey,' it calls into question the effectiveness of the BECE as a gateway. People might wonder if the exam truly prepares students for a better future or if the system itself is failing to provide viable alternatives to illicit activities," she added.

Education Minister's goodwill message to BECE candidates

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, extended his best wished to the school pupils who sat for the BECE exams.

He urged Ghanaian pupils sitting for the 2025 BECE to remain calm, focused, and determined.

Haruna Iddrisu further expressed confidence in their preparation and encouraged them to trust in their hard work while avoiding examination malpractices.

Source: YEN.com.gh