Five inmates from the Ho Central Prison are among the 3,359 candidates writing the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region.
The inmates—all males in their late 20s and early 30s—were registered for the examination after completing formal education sessions within the prison. While six inmates were initially registered, one was unable to participate due to ill health and is currently receiving medical treatment.
Chief Superintendent of Prisons (CSP) David Nyabiri Apusigah, Public Relations Officer for the Volta/Oti Regional Prison Service, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the prison began a non-formal education programme in 2018, which was formalized in 2020 to prepare inmates for national examinations such as the BECE.
“We began with about 20 inmates, most of whom could not read or write. We taught them from scratch, and today, five of them are sitting for their BECE,” CSP Apusigah said.
He explained that this marks the first time inmates at Ho Central Prison are participating in the BECE, noting that fluctuations in inmate numbers due to sentencing make long-term educational planning difficult. Nevertheless, the Service hopes to register more inmates in future, including Senior High School and even tertiary-level programmes.
“Last year, some inmates from Nsawam Prison graduated with university degrees—some with distinction. We believe our inmates here can do the same with the right support,” he added.
CSP Apusigah said released inmates are provided with cover letters to support their reintegration and continuation of education. For those still serving time, however, motivation remains a challenge, especially due to limited food supply and lack of incentives.
“The daily food budget is just GH₵1.80. If an inmate is hungry, he will not be able to concentrate in class. Sometimes we give extra food or a little money as motivation,” he said, commending Regional Commander Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Edward Eshun for initiating incentive programmes for academically outstanding inmates.
CSP Apusigah appealed to the public and relevant stakeholders to support the prison’s education programme by donating teaching and learning materials, furniture, and infrastructure. He noted that while the NGO Pencils of Promise previously provided desks, many are now broken or insufficient due to increasing student numbers.
He also called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to post trained teachers or National Service personnel to support the programme, explaining that current lessons are conducted by a few officers and two inmate-teachers, who handle Mathematics and Ewe.
“We even have someone teaching ICT, but there are no computers. We also need teachers for English and French,” he noted.
At the Ho Bankoe RC JHS Examination Centre, where the inmates are writing their exams, Centre Supervisor Mr Jesbert Barnor confirmed that the environment has been conducive, and candidates are generally relaxed.
“We were expecting 298 candidates at this centre—148 boys and 150 girls. One inmate didn’t show up. We were informed he is receiving urgent medical care,” Mr. Barnor said.
Across the Ho Municipality, a total of 3,359 candidates from 110 public and private basic schools are sitting for the BECE—underscoring Ghana’s commitment to expanding access to education, even within correctional facilities.
Source: GNA
