The Ghana Education Service (GES) has launched a significant crackdown on the unauthorized registration of Form Two students for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). In a stern directive issued on January 8, 2026, the service warned that any school head bypassing the required three-year academic progression will face severe sanctions.

However, this directive has raised a critical question for parents and educators: Is the BECE also under the spotlight? Evidence suggests that the “shortcutting” culture is not unique to senior high schools; it is deeply rooted in the basic education level as well.

The WASSCE Mandate: No Shortcuts for SHS 2

The GES, through its Head of Public Relations, Daniel Fenyi, clarified that school heads are only authorized to register Form Three students whose academic history is traceable in the school’s database from Year One.

• Misconduct Warning: Registering Form Two students or private candidates under a school’s name is now classified as “misconduct and abuse of office”.
• Financial Exploitation: Management observed that some heads are facilitating these illegal registrations in exchange for high fees.
• Strict Enforcement: The GES has pledged to apply WAEC and GES disciplinary regulations “without exception” to those found culpable.

The BECE Ripple Effect: Grade 8 Students in the Crosshairs

While the latest press release focuses on the WASSCE, the same issues are reportedly rampant at the basic education level.

Reports indicate that both private and public schools frequently “sneak in” Grade 8 (JHS 2) students to write the BECE. This practice often involves:

• “Farming” Students: Public schools sometimes register JHS 2 students from private schools to bolster their own candidate numbers.
• Forged Records: To bypass eligibility, schools have been known to alter Continuous Assessment records to make JHS 2 students appear as final-year candidates.
• Disqualification Risks: WAEC has previously warned that candidates found to have been “illegally registered” from lower grades will have their results annulled.

Divergent Views: Innovation vs. Integrity

The public response to these crackdowns remains polarized. On one hand, the GES aims to protect the integrity of the three-year curriculum cycle. On the other hand, stakeholders argue the system is failing to adapt to the 21st century.

“If a child is brilliant enough to pass in Form 1 or 2, why hold them back?” one parent argued during a recent social media debate. Others point to the lack of a robust, automated database as the real culprit, noting that if the National Student Information System (SIS) were fully functional, these “unqualified” registrations would be blocked automatically at the point of entry.

READ: 2025 WASSCE candidates failed because they focused on memorization

What Parents and School Heads Need to Know

As of January 2026, the GES is prioritizing data traceability. For the BECE, WAEC is moving toward a system of unique identification numbers assigned to students a year before they are eligible to sit for exams to prevent the “sneaking in” of younger students.

FAQ: Understanding the GES WASSCE & BECE Registration Crackdown

1. Can an SHS 2 student register and write the WASSCE in Ghana? No. According to the latest GES directive, school heads are strictly prohibited from registering Form Two students for the WASSCE. The examination is reserved for Form Three students whose academic progression is duly traceable in the school’s database from Year One to Year Three.

2. Is it illegal for JHS 2 students to register for the BECE? Yes. The BECE is officially available only to students in their final/third year of Junior High School. Registering JHS 2 students is considered an illegal practice by WAEC, and schools found forging Continuous Assessment records to facilitate this can face severe sanctions.

3. What are the sanctions for school heads who register unqualified candidates? School heads found culpable face serious disciplinary actions, which may include immediate interdiction, removal from their post, or total suspension. Furthermore, private schools engaging in this activity risk being de-recognized as examination centers.

4. Can an unqualified candidate’s results be canceled? Yes. WAEC reserves the right to annul the results of any candidate found to be unqualified or “illegally registered”. This is part of a broader push by the GES and WAEC to maintain the academic integrity and value of the WASSCE and BECE certificates.

5. How will the GES and WAEC detect illegal registrations in the future? WAEC is moving toward picking up student data a year before the final exams. This data will be used to issue unique identification numbers to eligible candidates, ensuring that only those with a verifiable three-year track record can register in their final year.