President John Dramani Mahama has attributed the sharp decline in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results to years of insufficient attention to Ghana’s basic education sector.
Speaking at the launch of the STEMBox initiative for primary schools, he stressed that the crisis stems from weak foundational learning, delays in releasing capitation grants, and persistent challenges in ensuring quality teaching at the early stages of education.
Mahama noted that the neglect of basic education has had far-reaching consequences. “One of the major issues over the years has been the lack of investment in basic education, from delays in capitation grants to difficulties in securing qualified teachers at the foundational level,” he said.
He warned that students lacking essential skills are being advanced through the school system without the competence needed to succeed at secondary or tertiary levels.
According to him, when the basics fail, students merely pass through the system like products on a conveyor belt, only to be flagged as underperforming at the end. Mahama insisted that strengthening foundational learning must become a national priority.
The president said the WASSCE results are deeply worrying for the government, parents, and the general public.
He disclosed that he has instructed the Minister of Education to thoroughly examine the examiners’ report to determine why this year’s performance dropped so drastically, especially when the same teachers and learning conditions existed in previous years. He described the situation as “mind-boggling” and called for clarity on what went wrong.
The 2025 WASSCE recorded significant declines in key subjects, with Core Mathematics, Integrated Science, and Social Studies posting some of the worst results. The English language also saw a noticeable fall.
Education analysts have linked the poor performance to systemic challenges such as inadequate teaching support, a shortage of learning materials, and delayed funding, all of which weaken learning outcomes at the basic level.
Stakeholders, including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), have supported Mahama’s concerns. The Center for Education Policy and Management (CEPM) has additionally cited management issues within the Free SHS programme as a factor contributing to the poor results.
Mahama’s demand for a comprehensive review of the examiners’ report reflects the government’s acknowledgement that superficial fixes will not resolve the deep-rooted problems facing the education sector.
Experts believe that improving foundational learning will require timely financial support, better-trained teachers, smaller class sizes, improved materials, and strong monitoring systems. The 2025 WASSCE performance, they say, should serve as a critical reminder of the urgent need for reforms in Ghana’s education system.