Two hardworking learners from Sonrise Christian Academy achieved an aggregate of 7 in the just-ended 2025 BECE. This remarkable result did not come easily. It was the product of discipline, perseverance, and countless sleepless nights. While many were resting or spending time with their families, these learners were studying late into the night, determined to succeed.
As the popular saying goes, “Hard work pays.” Indeed, their dedication paid off when they emerged the best-performing students in the municipality. Friends, family, teachers, and community members celebrated their success, and congratulatory messages poured in.
In recognition of academic excellence, the Member of Parliament for the municipality organized a program to reward outstanding BECE performers. Naturally, these learners were hopeful that their efforts would be acknowledged. Preparations were made, and they attended the event with excitement and anticipation.
However, their excitement quickly turned into confusion and disappointment when the Overall Best Student Award was presented to another student whose aggregate was not better than theirs.
This left the learners shocked, disheartened, and searching for answers.
A simple question keeps coming up: Why should the Overall Best Student Award go to someone who did not achieve a better result?
Several concerns have since been raised:
* Was it because these learners come from a private school, while the award recipient comes from a public school?
* Was it because they are male, and the award was given to a female student to promote the encouragement of the girl child?
Until today, these questions remain unanswered.
Choosing peace over confrontation, the learners decided to leave the matter in the hands of God Almighty — the ultimate rewarder of hard work and integrity.
However, another development has renewed the conversation. Just yesterday, a picture circulating on Facebook about the Presidential Award for BECE Excellence showed that neither of these learners had been selected, despite having the best results in the municipality.
Once again, the questions resurfaced.
Perhaps the intention is to encourage the girl child, which is indeed a noble cause that everyone supports. But does encouraging the girl child mean that male students who qualify should not also receive recognition?
Another question arises: If the intention is solely to promote the girl child, why is the other award winner from Ho a boy?
This raises further questions:
* Is the male award recipient from Ho from a private or public school?
* What was his aggregate score?
* Was it better than the results obtained by these two learners?
These questions are not being asked out of bitterness, but out of a sincere desire for clarity, fairness, and transparency in how academic excellence is recognized.
Hard work should be celebrated wherever it is found—whether in a private school or a public school, whether by a boy or a girl.
These two young learners are simply seeking answers and fairness, not just for themselves, but for every student who believes that dedication and excellence should be rewarded without bias.
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