Center for Education Leadership, Policy and Innovation Africa (CELPI Africa) has called for a comprehensive reform of Ghana’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), arguing that the current examination structure places excessive psychological pressure on learners and fails to prepare them adequately for the demands of the 21st century.

The call follows recent concerns raised by Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), which described the requirement for students to sit nearly ten examination papers within five days as “torture” for young learners.

In a policy statement signed by CELPI Africa President, Al-Hassan Kodwo Baidoo, the organization argued that Ghana’s education system has for decades prioritized memorization, examination endurance and subject overload at the expense of creativity, emotional well-being, ethics and innovation.

According to the statement, many BECE candidates, typically between the ages of 13 and 16, are subjected to intense psychological stress during examinations, contributing to anxiety, burnout and unhealthy academic competition.

Proposal to Reduce BECE Subjects
CELPI Africa proposed that Ghana restructures the BECE into four broad interdisciplinary learning areas:
Language Literacy (English Language, Ghanaian Language and French)
Numeracy
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics)
Character Development
The organization said this model aligns with global education trends being implemented in countries such as Finland, Singapore, Canada and Rwanda, where competency-based education and interdisciplinary learning are increasingly replacing examination-heavy systems.

The statement noted that Ghana cannot continue relying on what it described as a “20th-century examination structure” to prepare students for a future shaped by artificial intelligence, digital transformation, creativity and emotional intelligence.

Character Development as a Core Subject
CELPI Africa further proposed the introduction of Character Development as a standalone and examinable subject in Ghana’s basic education curriculum.

According to the organization, schools must intentionally nurture ethics, patriotism, leadership, emotional intelligence, anti-corruption values and civic responsibility among students.
The proposed Character Development subject would include areas such as:
Ethics and integrity
Citizenship and constitutional responsibilities
Ghanaian family values
Community service
Leadership and volunteerism
Digital responsibility
Peaceful coexistence and tolerance
The organization referenced education systems in Japan, South Korea, Kenya and Rwanda as examples where moral education and citizenship training are integrated into mainstream education delivery.

Call for Learner-Centered Examination Timetable
CELPI Africa also recommended a more humane BECE timetable structure with one examination paper per day and a midweek psychological recovery break.

The proposed structure is:
Monday — Paper 1
Tuesday — Paper 2
Wednesday — Rest Day
Thursday — Paper 3
Friday — Paper 4
The organization argued that excessive testing within compressed timeframes negatively affects concentration, retention and learner performance.

Policy Recommendations
CELPI Africa urged the Ministry of Education and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to:
Establish a national stakeholder committee to review the BECE structure
Reduce examinable subjects into integrated learning areas
Strengthen school-based continuous assessment systems
Expand guidance and counseling services in schools
Incorporate project-based and practical assessments
Align Ghana’s reforms with African Union and UNESCO education transformation frameworks
“The Time to Reform the BECE is Now”
CELPI Africa concluded that the national discussion on the BECE should not be politicized but rather viewed as an opportunity to rethink the purpose of education in Ghana.

“The children writing the BECE today are not examination machines. They are future scientists, entrepreneurs, teachers, innovators, public servants and nation builders,” the statement emphasized.

The organization believes Ghana now has an opportunity to build a modern, humane and values-driven basic education system that prioritizes competence, creativity and learner well-being over examination pressure alone.