Juvenile inmates at the Senior Correctional Centre (SCC), Accra, have achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), demonstrating the transformative power of education and rehabilitation.
The 11 young offenders, serving various terms at the facility, sat for the examination through the Ghana Education Service’s prison education programme. Results released showed that all candidates passed, with several securing passes in all nine subjects.
Speaking at a ceremony to honour the candidates, the Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP), Yayra Ashong-Mettle, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of SCC, said education remained central to the Ghana Prisons Service’s mandate of reforming inmates into responsible citizens.
“These young people made mistakes, but they have chosen to rewrite their stories,” DDP Ashong-Mettle said.
She said “Passing these examinations shows that when we invest in their minds, we invest in safer communities for tomorrow.”
She noted that the candidates studied under challenging conditions at Reformers Junior High School, located within the SCC, where limited resources, strict schedules and the emotional burden of incarceration presented significant hurdles.
According to the OIC, the achievement reflected the core mandate of the Ghana Prisons Service, which is rooted in reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration.
“These children come to us with low self-esteem and broken dreams. Our mandate is not just to keep them safe, but to reform them. This 100 per cent is not just an academic score; it is a reformation score. It proves correction works,” she stated.
DDP Ashong-Mettle commended the juveniles for their dedication, noting that some achieved an aggregate of 12, among other impressive results. She attributed their success to the commitment of prison officers serving as teachers, as well as support from non-governmental organisations and volunteers.
In an interview, Sena Okity-Duah, Coordinator of the Free SHS Secretariat, Ministry of Education, commended SCC for supporting the academic development and restoration of the juveniles.
She expressed admiration for their achievement despite studying in a correctional environment with limited resources, describing it as proof that reformation through education works and that no child is beyond redemption.
“What you have done is not ordinary. Many students with full parental support, private teachers and freedom did not get 100 per cent. You, behind these walls, with limited resources, have shown Ghana that your past does not determine your future,” she said.
Okity-Duah explained that the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy removes financial barriers to secondary education for eligible students in public schools. She assured the inmates that those who qualify for SHS would benefit from the programme.
One inmate, speaking on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the Ghana Prisons Service, Ministry of Education and their teachers, promising to remain disciplined and aim higher in SHS.
“We made mistakes, but we are not mistakes. We thank Free SHS for believing in us,” he said.
The Director-General of Prisons, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Mrs), Esq., congratulated the candidates, teachers and SCC management, and reaffirmed her commitment to expanding educational opportunities at the centre.
She urged officers to continue providing inmates with “hope, education, skills and support” for a better future.
BY ASP ALFRED NII ARDAY ANKRAH
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