Ghana’s Free SHS WASSCE performance outshines Nigeria’s results in 2020

by Wisdom K.E Hammond · April 19, 2021

Ghana’s Free SHS WASSCE performance outshines Nigeria’s performance in 2020 as Ghana swept the top awards from WAEC for the 2020 examination year.

The Former Minister of Education, Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempah has disclosed that the first batch of Free SHS graduates obtained 88% of 2020 WASSCE 8As.

Data shows that 411 Free SHS graduates obtained a total of 8As out of the 465 8As obtained in the West African second cycle schools examination written by five countries.

While speaking at the 5th congregation of the University for Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), the now Energy Minister said the Akufo-Addo graduates from Ghana have set a record as the only group of WASSCE graduates who obtained 50%. By this he meant out of the total number of students to sat for the WASSCE for school candidates, 50% of the candidates scored between A1 to C6 in all core subjects.

The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South said based on the above success, the first batch of the Free SHS beneficiaries have vindicated President Nana Akufo–Addo’s commitment to free education in the country.

“This clear testament to the vision of Akufo-Addo’s Free SHS programme tells us that when we harness every child’s potential and put in the resources and hard work, we enrich our human resource base and put him or her on a path to progress and prosperity,” NAPO stated as quoted by GNA

Three Ghanaian students grabbed the top spot in the WAEC awards for excellence this year and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) have not been excited about this. Ghana’s Free SHS WASSCE performance has not gone down well with (NUT).

They described the performance of Nigerian students in the 2020 WASSCE as a big shame. Nigeria presented 70% of the WASSCE candidates while the remaining countries including Ghana provided the remaining 30%. The (NUT) is of the view that the outcome of the examination is a defeat and a wake-up call for Nigeria’s education.

Dr. Mike Ene furthered that the days when Ghana’s education was seen as below that of Nigeria were gone.

“Ghana had to strive to make things work to the extent that the country is now attracting many international students including Nigerians into its schools while only a few foreign students, if any at all, come to study in Nigerian schools,” Dr. Mike Ene posited to the Nigerian Tribune newspaper.