NORPRA blames fallen standard of academic performance to exams questions set in Accra

17-08-2011
Members of the Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy, NORPRA, an NGO based in the Upper East Region has kicked against the practice where end of term examinations questions for public basic schools in the region and for that matter the municipality are set by an Accra Based firm. The practice according to NORPRA has worsened academic performance of students in the final examination set by the West African Examination Council, (WAEC). The President of NORPRA, Bismark Adongo Ayorogo, who disclosed this to Radio Ghana at Bolgatanga explained that examination questions set from Accra normally, leaks before reaching students in the region. This, he said gives comparative advantage to students in the southern schools. He however implored the Ghana Education Service, GES to intervene and facilitate a review of the issue through engagement process with key stakeholders in the country’s educational sector. Mr. Adongo again called on the government through the Education Ministry to give priority attention to the teaching and learning of ICT in basic schools of Northern Ghana. Students in most deprived schools of Northern Ghana perform poorly during ICT exams and attributed the problem to lack of computers and personnel to facilitate the teaching of ICT as an examinable subject. Factors including lack of electricity in schools also form a major challenge to the teaching of ICT because students are only exposed to the theory aspect of the subject. Mr. Adongo Ayorogo therefore called on authorities concern to help construct ICT centers in deprived schools of northern Ghana.
GBC END IA/