President Mahama directs Education Minister to review WASSCE examiners report

President John Dramani Mahama, following the mass failure recorded in this year’s WASSCE for School has ordered the Minister for Education, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, to review the examiners’ report of the examination.

Speaking on Thursday, December 4, 2025, the president reiterated that vigilance and oversight during examinations would remain in place to eliminate any possibility of exam malpractice, urging student empowerment to study independently and succeed in their exams.

“… Vigilance is not going to go away. Strict invigilation is not going to go away, and so we must make sure that the children are well prepared to be on their own, be able to study and pass the exams that are waiting for them.

I have asked the Minister of Education, 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.

Mr Mahama further expressed surprise at how students from the same school system, taught by the same teachers, can perform so differently from one person to another, suggesting that there is an underlying problem that needs to be addressed.

“It is mind-boggling that with the same teachers, the same factors in play, and just from one batch to another, one batch does so disastrously, and so we need to get to the bottom of it. It also emphasises the issue of foundational learning.

“One of the major things that has taken place in the last several years is the neglect of basic education, the inability to send the capitation grants, ensuring that we have quality teachers at a foundational basic level because it is that level that prepares the child for secondary and tertiary education. Once you don’t get that level right, you will just send the child through a conveyor belt like a factory,” Mahama noted.

He continued to say that, “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. Our focus must be on foundational learning, which means that by the time the child reaches primary school, he should be able to read properly, write properly, and should be able to do basic arithmetic.”

Meanwhile, the management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) says the 2025 WASSCE for School results represent a true reflection of the academic performance of candidates who sat for the examination.

The Ghana Education Service, in a statement sighted by GhanaEducation.org, said the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results were also a credible representation of students’ abilities.

It said the 2025 WASSCE was conducted under heightened invigilation, strengthened supervision and strict adherence to examination protocols across all centres.

These measures, the Ghana Education Service in the statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Daniel Fenyi noted, led to the arrest of some students and staff who attempted to engage in malpractice.

The outcome demonstrated progress towards restoring integrity in the examination process, noting that a credible system served the best interest of students, schools and the nation, the statement said.

A total of 461,640 candidates, made up of 207,381 males and 254,259 females, drawn from 1,021 second-cycle schools registered for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School.

This figure represents a 0.22% increase over the 2024 entry figure of 460,611. The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School took place at 703 centres across the country.

The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates commenced on Tuesday, August 5 2025, with the Visual Art Project work and continued with the written papers on Monday, August 18, 2025. The examination will end on Friday, September 19, 2025.