05/03/2026
Ghana Reads Initiative Leads Dialogue on 2025 WASSCE Results and Education Reforms
Public concern has grown across Ghana following the performance of candidates in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), particularly in the core subjects. The results have sparked widespread discussions among parents, educators, policymakers, and civil society about the future of learning outcomes and human capital development.
In response, the Ghana Reads Initiative (GRI), in partnership with the Educational Times Newspaper, organized an education dialogue under the theme “The Uninspiring 2025 WASSCE Results and Suggestions for Rectification.” The event took place in January 2026 at the Ghana Library Authority in Airport Residential Area, Accra.
The dialogue brought together education stakeholders including civil society actors, education agencies, parents, and students to reflect on the implications of the results and propose solutions.
Participants agreed that the 2025 WASSCE outcomes should not simply be viewed as student failure but rather as a reflection of deeper systemic challenges within Ghana’s education system. They emphasized the need to move away from blame and instead adopt evidence-based and solution-driven approaches.
Among the key challenges identified were weak foundational literacy and numeracy at the basic education level, overcrowded classrooms, and unequal distribution of learning resources between urban and rural schools.
Stakeholders also pointed to declining study habits among students, citing excessive and largely unregulated use of mobile phones and social media, rising absenteeism, and weak enforcement of school rules.
Teacher-related challenges were also highlighted, including delayed payments for intervention programmes, limited professional development opportunities, and reliance on underqualified or temporary teachers in deprived areas.
Concerns were further raised about possible gaps between curriculum delivery and assessment standards under the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), as well as the continued problem of examination malpractice involving some schools, candidates, and even parents.
Participants also observed that although WAEC produces detailed Chief Examiners’ Reports after examinations, the insights from these reports are often not fully utilized to guide targeted interventions and reforms.
To address the situation, stakeholders proposed several key reforms. These include a structured national diagnostic review after WASSCE to guide learning recovery programmes in core subjects such as Mathematics, English Language, and Integrated Science, particularly in underperforming schools.
They also recommended improved teacher motivation through the prompt payment of arrears, expanded professional development, and stronger instructional supervision that promotes mastery-based learning.
In addition, participants called for stronger enforcement of discipline in schools, including restrictions on mobile phone use, behavioural change programmes for students, and greater parental involvement in monitoring learning at home.
Reforms in assessment were also proposed, including a review of rigid certification thresholds and the introduction of flexible re-sit opportunities to prevent students from being excluded from further education due to isolated subject failures.
Finally, stakeholders stressed the importance of safeguarding the integrity of examinations through tougher sanctions against malpractice and stronger collaboration with Parent-Teacher Associations.
Participants concluded that the 2025 WASSCE results should serve as a national wake-up call, urging coordinated action to strengthen literacy, improve teaching quality, and restore confidence in Ghana’s education system.
The Ghana Reads Initiative and Educational Times reaffirmed their commitment to supporting evidence-based reforms and public engagement to advance quality education for every learner in Ghana.
