Presidential Advisor on Health Dr. Nsiah Asare has assured the safety of final year students as they begin the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) today.
The examination begins with Visual Arts projects which will be done by 65,380 candidates in eight different areas.
This will include 750 candidates to do Basketry; 6,620 to do Ceramics, while 22,929 will do Graphic Design. Also, 29,983 candidates will be engaged in practical work in Jewelry, while Leatherwork will be done by 9,826 candidates.
Picture making will also involve 7,986 candidates while 7,484 candidates will do Sculpture and 6,805 candidates to also engage in Textiles.
Speaking in an interview on Okay Fm, Dr. Nsiah Asare explained measures have been put in place to ensure all Visual Arts students including those currently in isolation due to the coronavirus take part in the practical examinations.
According to him, “COVID 19 centres have currently been formed in all schools called COVID response team who will work together with the district health response team. We have also directed all the lab technicians to label the samples of students who have tested positive for the virus; ‘students’ so that we can immediately put measures in place to ensure that they partake in the final exams”
Read this : GES to recruit 2017-18 teachers
Dr. Nsiah Asare also noted that for example “students who are Asymptomatic can be given a single classroom where an invigilator who will also be given all personal protective equipment to invigilate them during the exams.”
He also assured that the ministry is currently giving attention to all suggestions being made by some institutions to ensure the right measures are picked for the safety of the students.
Meanwhile, the National Council of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says it has scaled up the number of examination personnel and invigilators due to the coronavirus outbreak in schools.
The Head of the Council, Mrs. Wendy Enyonam Addy-Lamptey explained this has become necessary due to the use of additional classrooms during the exams.
She indicated that the personnel made up of supervisors, assistant supervisors, invigilators and members of the security agencies were originally 16,218 “but because of the COVID-19 protocols, the figure has been revised upwards by 10 percent”.
Aba Aikins Appah/ATLFMNEWS
