President John Dramani Mahama has attributed the disappointing performance in the recent West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to years of neglect in Ghana’s basic education system.
He made the remarks on December 4 during the National Launch of STEMBox for Basic Schools, where he described the situation as a national concern that demands urgent action.
According to the president, the trend of poor results should alarm not only the government but also parents and the general public. “It has become an issue of great concern to governments, parents, and the public at large,” he said.
President Mahama revealed that he has directed the Minister of Education to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the examiners’ report to uncover the reasons behind the sharp decline in student performance.
“I was speaking with the minister, and I’ve asked him to do an analysis of the examiner’s report to try and decipher what could have gone so disastrously wrong,” he stated.
He added that the sudden drop in performance, despite having the same teachers and similar learning conditions, raises troubling questions. “It is mind-boggling that with the same teachers, the same factors in play, just from one batch to another, one batch does so disastrously. And so we need to get to the bottom of it.”
President Mahama explained that the poor WASSCE performance is a direct reflection of deep-rooted weaknesses within Ghana’s foundational learning structures. Over the years, he said, basic education has not received the attention it requires.
Key concerns include delays in releasing capitation grants and inadequate deployment of quality teachers at the primary level.
“These challenges weaken the very foundation that prepares children for secondary and tertiary education,” he emphasized.
Using a factory-style analogy, the president compared the education system to a production line where a weak foundation results in poor output.
“And once you don’t get that level right, you will just send the child through a conveyor belt like a factory. And when it comes out at the end, it will be picked out by quality control and said that this one did not do well.”
He stressed that every child must master basic literacy and numeracy skills before progressing beyond primary school.
“By the time a child leaves primary school, they should be able to read properly. By the time the child leaves primary school, they should be able to write properly. By the time the child leaves primary school, they should be able to do basic arithmetic.”
President Mahama expressed worry that some pupils complete basic school without even being able to write their names — a situation he described as unacceptable and alarming.
While addressing concerns about strict invigilation, President Mahama made it clear that supervision during national exams will remain firm.
“Vigilance is not going to go away. Invigilation is not going to go away,” he said.
He urged students to focus on preparation and independent learning to meet examination standards without relying on malpractice.
The president further announced that swift reforms will be introduced after the examiners’ report is fully assessed.
“I’ve asked the minister, and he’s told the Director-General of the GES to study the examiner’s report, and let’s see what quick reforms we can carry out in order that our children get a quality education,” he said.
With calls for improvement now louder than ever, the government aims to address foundational gaps and strengthen Ghana’s basic education system to ensure better student performance in future national examinations.
