Akufo-Addo blasts Mahama for doubting 2023 WASSCE results
Akufo-Addo challenges John Dramani Mahama for doubting the new and recent WASSCE results for 2023 SHS graduates.
Former president John Mahama’s criticism of the West Africa Senior Schools Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results is regretful, according to President Akufo-Addo.
Former President Mahama, who is also the NDC’s candidate for the 2024 election, blamed this suspicion on some invigilators’ laxity, which permits teachers to help pupils during exams.
This criticism follows Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum’s claim that this year’s exam results are the best since 2015.
“Many places allow youngsters to cheat. You go someplace, and the teachers conspire with the pupils to cheat. “The effect will be seen later,” Mr. Mahama stated.
The former President, who was on his “Building Ghana Tour,” warned that the development will have serious ramifications for the country’s educational system in the future.
“You certify these kids, claiming they meet this standard [BECE or WASSCE ], and when they use that certificate to enrol in a school overseas, they will discover that your certification is not as good as you claim it is.”
However, during the 187th speech and prize-giving day at Cape Coast’s Wesley Girls High School, President Akufo Addo dismissed the criticism as unfounded.
“Contrary to common belief, the vast excess and increased quality have gone hand in hand. Long may it continue.
“It is unfortunate, however, that the sad nature of some aspects of contemporary Ghanaian politics has prompted some otherwise allegedly responsible people, including your former President and current NDC Presidential candidate, to question the integrity of the results without any basis and to attribute these results to cheating.
“Do any of the Wesley Girls High School students cheat on exams? This resounding no will send a clear message to individuals who expressed these regrettable, mistaken feelings.”
The president also stated that the 2023 WASSCE results demonstrate the quality of tuition for the free senior high school programme.
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“The WASSCE scores of the pupils I proudly name Akufo-Addo graduates demonstrate that the quality of education has not diminished, but rather improved dramatically.
“The results of the Akufo-Addo graduates in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 are the only years in the past decade that show that more than 50% of the candidates obtained A1 to C6 in all core subjects,” he said.