Minister Jean Ernest Ngalle Bibehe visited yesterday in Buea chief exam marking centres of BGS and GHS Bokwaongo.
Ahead of the 2017 endof- year exams organised by the General Certificate of Education (GCE Board) and the Office du Baccalauréat, Secondary Education Minister, Jean Ernest Ngalle Bibehe, was in the South West Region yesterday to ensure hitch-free sessions of the exams that will kick off with practical next 15 May. One of the exams at hand, the GCE, which is bound to begin next week, drew much concern from Minister Ngalle Bebihe whose first stop over in Buea took him to the Bilingual Grammar School Molyko. While there, the Minister met students in full session of the mock or trial GCE as he went round the classes. Accompanied by Governor Bernard Okalia Bilaï, the Regional Delegate of Secondary Education for the South West, Apah Johnson, and the BGS Principal, Hannah Mbua, the Minister was particular with security concerns which have necessitated the rescheduling of exams this year from 2pm back to 1pm for afternoon sessions. Mr. Ngalle Bibehe stressed to teachers and the GCE organisers that the known credibility of the exam must be maintained so as to avert the doubts of promoters of ghost schools. This has to be done through adequate security, proper conduct of the exam and respect of the time table. At press time the Minister was holding an exam security meeting at the Governor’s office with the Regional administrative and security top brass. The GCE exam will begin with practical next 15 May and the writing proper will kick off on 12 June. Prior to the Minister’s visit, the GCE Board held a close-door session last Friday in Buea with Professor Peter Abety chairing. The Board Registrar, Dr. Ekema Monono, explained to the press that for security reasons the afternoon sessions of exams this year will begin by 1pm so as to allow the candidates return home earlier and avoid the night. This will circumvent the threats being propagated here and there by people of the underworld. As concerns registration for the GCE, the Regional Delegate for Secondary Education in the South West advanced the figure of 129,000 candidates from the entire country this year as gotten from the GCE Board.
It was revealed that most candidates in the confessional schools had fortunately registered before the Teachers’ strike took the twist of ghost schools. In Buea and the entire South West Region, smiles are back in to the faces of many Confessional school students as they heard about the quiet visit of Arch-Bishop Samuel Kleda, the national Episcopal Chair, to the Buea Diocese where he met the Bishop of Buea concerning school resumption. By that visit it is expected that action would be fostered for children to get back to the mainly boarding schools owned by the missions. As end-of-year exams are fast stepping in, non-candidates in mid-way classes are busy with catch-up classes so as to prepare for next levels next year. Although not beyond 50 percent, as testified in educational circles, can be counted as back to school in the wake of ghost schools, the number is quite impressive with many more students rushing back to school to take class exams. The Minister of Secondary Education is in Bamenda today where he will continue with the same exercise to ensure smooth end-ofyear exams. While in Buea the Minister also visited the Government High School Bokwaongo , one of the marking centres of the GCE.
From Cameroon-tribune
