Stakeholders in Ghana’s education sector have called for urgent, coordinated national reforms following what they described as “uninspiring” performance in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The call was made at the end of an education dialogue organised by the Ghana Reads Initiative (GRI) and the Educational Times Newspaper at the Ghana Library Authority in Airport Residential Area, Accra, under the theme: “The Uninspiring 2025 WASSCE Results and Suggestions for Rectification.”
The forum brought together civil society actors, representatives from the Ghana Commission for UNESCO, education advocates, parents, students, and other stakeholders. Discussions were described as constructive and non-partisan, focusing on evidence-based analysis and practical solutions.
Results Signal Systemic Challenges
Participants agreed that while the 2025 WASSCE results were deeply concerning, they should not be reduced to a narrative of failure. Instead, they described the outcome as a system-wide signal pointing to longstanding structural, instructional, behavioural, and assessment-related weaknesses.
According to the communiqué issued after the dialogue, persistent foundational learning deficits at the basic level—particularly in literacy and numeracy—continue to undermine readiness at the secondary stage. Overcrowded classrooms, inadequate learning materials, and uneven resource distribution were identified as contributing factors.
Stakeholders also raised concerns about declining study culture, indiscipline, high absenteeism, and the excessive use of mobile phones and social media among students.
Teacher Motivation and Assessment Concerns
The dialogue highlighted challenges affecting teacher morale and instructional quality, including delayed payment of intervention-related allowances, limited access to continuous professional development, and the deployment of underqualified or temporary teachers in deprived communities.
Concerns were further raised about assessment-curriculum misalignment and rigid certification thresholds that may not adequately reflect differentiated learner abilities. Participants warned that examination malpractice—including organised cheating and collusion—continues to threaten the credibility of Ghana’s assessment system.
They also noted that although the West African Examinations Council produces detailed Chief Examiners’ Reports, systematic post-examination diagnostics and structured remediation programmes remain insufficiently institutionalised.
Key Recommendations
The dialogue proposed several priority reforms, including:
Institutionalising a Post-WASSCE Diagnostic Review led by WAEC, NaCCA and GES.
Deploying targeted remedial programmes in Mathematics, English Language and Integrated Science, especially in rural and peri-urban schools.
Settling outstanding teacher allowances and strengthening instructional supervision.
Enforcing mobile phone restrictions in schools and promoting behavioural change programmes.
Reviewing rigid progression thresholds and expanding flexible re-sit options.
Strengthening examination integrity measures and community accountability mechanisms.
Participants also emphasised the need to expand academic, technical and vocational pathways to support diverse learner talents and labour market needs.
Call for Institutional Participation
Stakeholders expressed concern over the absence of some key education sector institutions at the dialogue despite prior invitations, stressing the importance of active institutional participation in national education conversations.
The communiqué concluded that the 2025 WASSCE results represent a “national learning alarm” rather than a verdict on student intelligence. It called for decisive leadership, coordinated reforms, and sustained collaboration among government, schools, parents and communities.
The Ghana Reads Initiative, established in 2023, focuses on literacy promotion and inclusive education advocacy, while the Educational Times Newspaper, launched in 2022, serves as a platform for education policy dialogue and evidence-based engagement.
The communiqué was signed by Mrs. Tina Aforo-Yeboah (Board Chairperson, Ghana Reads Initiative), Mr. Charles Neequaye (Editor, Educational Times), and Albert P.K. Koomson (National Director, GRI), and issued on February 20, 2026.
