The Executive Director of the Holistic Counselling and Coaching Institute (HCCI), Apostle James Kofi Abbrey, has urged the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to provide psychological counselling for candidates affected by withheld or cancelled results in the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
A total of 93 candidates and 1,240 others had their examination results withheld, while 718 candidates had some subject results cancelled and 177 candidates had their entire results annulled.
Apostle Abbrey stressed that such students often suffer trauma and risk losing hope in their future aspirations, making it crucial for WAEC to offer professional support before asking them to rewrite the exams.
Speaking to The Ghanaian Times at a graduation ceremony in Accra last Saturday, where 102 individuals received certificates in Counselling and Psychology, he emphasised the need for schools nationwide to have trained counsellors to prepare students for both the psychological and emotional challenges associated with examinations.
“Normally, when students are preparing for exams, some schools consult our Institute to send counsellors to prepare them psychologically, socially and spiritually. Anything can happen in the exam hall or after the exams. The Council must ensure these children are emotionally ready before rewriting their papers,” he explained.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Full Gospel Church International, Bishop Samuel Nii-Noi Mensah, also underscored the urgency of having counsellors in schools and on campuses to tackle rising issues of drug abuse, suicide, and broken homes.
“We have a youth in crisis. Suicide is becoming a silent killer. Just last year, a promising university student ended his life because he felt he had no one to talk to. Our universities are becoming a cradle for drug abuse. Counsellors must rise and speak to these issues,” Bishop Mensah said.
He urged trained counsellors to actively contribute to national development by shaping policies and offering solutions, rather than waiting for government intervention.
The President of the Ghana Baptist Convention, Reverend Enoch Thompson, charged the graduating counsellors to combine professional training with spiritual guidance.
“Graduates, you are entering a world that is bruised yet beautiful. Let your counselling be rooted in Scripture, guided by the Holy Spirit, informed by psychological insight, and marked by compassion. You may be the answer to someone’s cry,” Rev. Thompson outlined.
The graduation ceremony highlighted the growing recognition of counselling as a vital tool for addressing Ghana’s mental health and social challenges.
BY BERNARD BEGHAN
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