- Prisoners prepared by qualified teachers.
- Prisoners expected to excel despite challenges.
- Ghana Prisons Service provides education for rehabilitation.
Thirty-four prisoners are participating in the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), a significant milestone in Ghana’s education system. The BECE marks the transition from Junior High Schools to Senior High Schools and Technical Institutions in Ghana, and the inmates’ participation is a testament to the Ghana Prisons Service’s commitment to rehabilitation and reformation.
The candidates, all males, include 27 juveniles from the Senior Correctional Centre (SCC), 5 from Nsawam Maximum Security Prison, and 2 from Sunyani Central Prison. According to DSP Loretta Valentina Amoah, the Greater Accra Regional Public Relations Officer, the inmates have been thoroughly prepared by qualified teachers from the Ghana Prisons Service and the Ghana Education Service.
DSP Amoah expressed optimism that the inmates would excel in the exams, citing their hard work and dedication. However, she highlighted the challenges faced by the inmates, including inadequate teaching and learning materials, which hinder their preparation.
DSP Amoah appealed to the public to support the inmates, especially the juveniles, by donating textbooks, past questions, and other learning materials to enhance their studies. The inmates themselves expressed confidence in their preparation, commending their teachers for their hard work and promising to make them proud.
The Ghana Prisons Service introduced formal education to inmates on a pilot basis in 2007, with the first batch of 21 juveniles and young offenders sitting for the BECE in 2009 and recording a 100% pass rate. Last year, 51 prisoners across the country sat for the BECE, also recording a 100% pass rate, a testament to the service’s commitment to rehabilitation and reformation.
