<<Print>>

The Government has committed more than GH�14million as subsidy for candidates o the 2014 Basic School Certificate Examination (BECE) in both public and private schools. The approved registration fee by the government is GH�50.00 per candidate in both public and private schools. Out of the amount, the government pays GH�35.00 per candidate as subsidy while parents pay GH�15.00. Speaking on Peace FM, a radio station in Accra, on Thursday, December 5, 2013, the Minister of Education, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, noted that the government was committed to improving education in the country, hence the introduction of the subsidy, among other very important strategic social interventions, to make education affordable to all Ghanaians. Refund Prof Opoku-Agymeng directed that heads of public schools who had charged unapproved registration fees should, as a matter of urgency, refund the extra amount to parents. She warned that failure to do so would lead to sanctions by the Ghana Education Service (GES). Social Interventions She said 500,000 school uniforms valued at GH�10 million would also be provided to pupils in basic schools as part of the social interventions by government. Additionally, 10 million exercise books would be distributed to schoolchildren in basic schools. The government, according to the minister, will continue to provide teaching and learning materials to teachers to enhance the teaching and learning process. She maintained that education of every country was about the future, adding that the government would do everything possible to ensure that a conducive teaching and learning environment was created for learners to produce the needed quality human resource for national development.