2025 WASSCE results expose deepening crisis in Ghana’s Secondary Education System

The provisional 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), have ignited widespread alarm over the state of Ghana’s secondary education.

The dramatic decline in performance across all core subjects—particularly Core Mathematics and Social Studies—has intensified concerns about systemic failures in the country’s educational architecture. Only 48.73 percent of candidates obtained the required A1–C6 passes in Core Mathematics, marking one of the poorest national outcomes in recent years.

The WAEC data points to what many observers are calling a “Great Collapse.” The failure rate (F9) in Core Mathematics surged from 6.10 percent in 2024 to an unprecedented 26.77 percent in 2025. In effect, nearly one out of every four candidates failed the subject outright. Social Studies performance followed a similar pattern, with the F9 rate rising from 9.55 percent to 27.50 percent. English Language and Integrated Science also recorded more than double their 2024 failure rates.

The steep drop in pass rates has become a national concern. Core Mathematics, central to admission into most tertiary programmes, declined by nearly 18 percentage points—from 66.86 percent in 2024 to 48.73 percent in 2025. This means more than half of the 461,736 candidates may be ineligible for entry into various tertiary institutions. The results have placed the future of thousands of students in jeopardy.

Beyond the numbers, the results represent personal despair for many students and families. An anonymous female Senior High School student expressed frustration, attributing part of the collapse to the Free SHS policy. She noted that the absence of financial commitment by parents has weakened student motivation, saying, “The free SHS also contributes to the failure of the students.”

Educationist Professor Stephen Adei delivered a stark assessment, stressing that the root of the problem lies in basic education. According to him, Ghana risks “producing illiterate people at the basic level,” and until foundational issues are addressed, secondary school performance will remain poor.

The Ghana Education Service (GES), through PRO Daniel Fenyi, acknowledged the troubling nature of the results while affirming their authenticity. He described the decline as “quite worrying” but emphasized that the results reflect the genuine competencies of learners.

WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, clarified that the poor performance cannot be blamed on curriculum deviations. He argued that the results reflect widespread weaknesses in the application of knowledge—particularly in practical problem-solving. He identified seven critical areas of deficiency in Core Mathematics, ranging from interpreting word problems to solving simple interest applications.

Mr. Kapi also highlighted another growing concern: the increasing use of “social media diction and non-standard English” in candidate scripts, revealing a broader decline in formal writing and comprehension skills.

The release of the results has triggered strong political debate. The Minority in Parliament condemned what it described as the government’s poor oversight of the education sector. They emphasised the plunge in Core Mathematics performance, contrasting the results with improvements recorded between 2022 and 2024. They also dismissed the GES explanation linking the poor outcomes in part to strict invigilation, calling it “unprofessional and unethical.”

The Minority further argued that while invigilation must uphold integrity, creating fear during examinations is counterproductive and may undermine performance.

Education analysts say the crisis reflects systemic instability. MP for Jirapa, Cletus Seidu Dapilah, pointed to uneven teacher distribution, especially at the basic level. Weak foundational learning, he argued, naturally leads to poor outcomes at the WASSCE level.

Dr. Peter Anti Partey of IFEST called for data-driven reforms, urging the Ministry of Education to identify specific schools pulling down national averages and to clearly outline targeted interventions.

The Free SHS policy remains central to the debate. While it has expanded access, critics argue that it has overstretched resources, reduced parental engagement, and lowered student discipline. Teachers also point to excessive workload and inadequate learning materials as major constraints.

The University of Ghana has made it clear that it will maintain its strict admission requirements. Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Gordon Awandare stated that the university “will not lower cut-off points,” explaining that even in previous years, qualified candidates outnumber available spaces. He encouraged students who performed poorly to resit their exams rather than expect lowered standards.

Compounding the academic crisis is a troubling integrity scandal. WAEC confirmed widespread examination malpractice across the country. A total of 6,295 candidates had subject results cancelled for bringing unauthorized materials into the examination hall. Additionally, the results of 653 candidates were annulled for possessing mobile phones during the exams.

Even more troubling, the results of candidates from 185 schools were withheld due to suspected collusion. WAEC revealed that 35 individuals— including 19 teachers—were prosecuted. Nineteen of them were convicted, with their names submitted to GES for disciplinary action.

The 2025 WASSCE results present a damning verdict on Ghana’s education system. The combination of low pass rates, inadequate foundational learning, widespread malpractice, and institutional shortcomings paints a troubling picture.

As the nation aspires to build a competent workforce for long-term development, the data underscores an urgent need for reforms — from improving teacher capacity and restructuring Free SHS to strengthening assessment integrity and equipping students with critical thinking skills.

The year 2025 should serve as a wake-up call: Ghana’s education system requires more than discussion. It requires decisive, coordinated, and measurable transformation.