Rashad of GH Page Questions WAEC’s Use of King Paluta’s Aseda in BECE Exam
Rashad the Chief Executive Officer of GH Page one of Ghana’s leading online news platforms has raised serious concerns over the inclusion of King Paluta’s hit song Aseda in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
Speaking on a recent episode of his talk show Rash Hour the outspoken media personality questioned the relevance of asking questions about a secular song in an official national examination meant for basic school students.
Rashad argued that the decision by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to include such a question was not only inappropriate but also out of touch with the realities of many households in Ghana.
It makes no sense to ask a BECE student about the Aseda song. My children have never even heard of it, he stated.
According to him his household is strictly centered around gospel music and as a hands-on parent he closely monitors what his children listen to. Therefore he is confident that not every student would be familiar with King Paluta’s music particularly due to language barriers and parental restrictions in some homes.
He added that while Aseda may be popular in certain circles, it is not representative of the experiences of all Ghanaian students. Rashad warned that such practices by WAEC could create unfair disadvantages for students who are not exposed to mainstream entertainment content.
There are students whose parents don’t allow them to listen to secular music. Some of them don’t even understand the language in which the song is performed Rashad emphasized.
He called on WAEC and other examining bodies to rethink their approach and avoid what he described as nonsensical questions in national and internal examinations.
His comments have sparked public debate with many agreeing that examinations must be inclusive, culturally sensitive and considerate of the diverse backgrounds of students across the country.
As discussions continue this issue highlights the ongoing need for education stakeholders to carefully assess the content used in examinations to ensure fairness, relevance and educational value.