Crisis Rocks West African Education: WASSCE 2025 Scores Collapse, Igniting Fierce Political Debate
Ghana's 2025 WASSCE results have ignited a national debate, revealing significant declines in core subjects like Mathematics and Social Studies. While the Minority in Parliament attributes the drop to the current government, others argue it signifies a necessary correction due to a crackdown on examination malpractice. The discussion underscores calls for depoliticizing education reforms and prioritizing academic integrity over inflated grades.
The release of Ghana's 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results has ignited a fervent national debate, revealing a worrying decline in student performance, particularly in core subjects. Significant drops were observed in Core Mathematics and Social Studies, with English Language and Integrated Science also experiencing slight decreases compared to the 2024 outcomes. This downturn has prompted diverse reactions, ranging from accusations of educational regression to interpretations of the results as a crucial step towards restoring academic integrity.
The Minority in Parliament has vociferously accused the current NDC government of setting Ghana’s education sector backwards. In a statement signed by Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Ranking Member on the Education Committee, the Caucus expressed shock and disappointment at what they described as a clear reversal of the gains made during the preceding Akufo-Addo administration. They highlighted specific comparative figures: English Language dropped from 69.52% in 2024 to 69% in 2025, Mathematics plummeted from 66.86% to 48.73%, Integrated Science fell from 58.77% to 57.74%, and Social Studies decreased from 71.53% to 55.82%. The sharp fall in Mathematics, a subject that had shown consistent improvement from 61.39% in 2022 to 66.86% in 2024, was deemed “unfortunate and unacceptable” and demanded immediate investigation.
The Minority Caucus further argued that the NPP administration, from 2017 to 2024, had driven substantial improvements through