IFEST Presses MoE, GES on Weak WASSCE Results
A leading education policy advocacy group, the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST), has called on the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to publicly outline a concrete and time-bound action plan to address persistent underperformance in core subjects recorded in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The group warned that failure to act decisively could undermine Ghana’s long-term human capital development and widen existing educational inequalities.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, IFEST pointed to systemic weaknesses in Mathematics, Integrated Science and Social Studies, describing the trend as a reflection of deeper structural and managerial gaps within the pre-tertiary education system. The advocacy group also highlighted sharp disparities in performance across regions and school categories, raising concerns about equity and access to quality learning outcomes.
According to IFEST, the 2025 WASSCE results should serve as a critical diagnostic tool for policy reform rather than a routine post-exam discussion. The group urged education authorities to prioritise evidence-based interventions, strengthen curriculum supervision, and enforce accountability mechanisms for school heads and regional education directors ahead of the 2026 examination cycle.
Executive Director of IFEST, Peter Anti Partey, stressed that improving examination outcomes goes beyond numerical pass rates. “Improving WASSCE outcomes is not merely about examination statistics; it is a matter of national human capital development,” he said. “We need measurable benchmarks, transparent reporting, and coordinated implementation across all levels of the education system.”
IFEST further called for targeted in-service teacher training programmes, particularly in underperforming subjects, alongside the equitable distribution of teaching and learning resources to deprived schools. The group also advocated for the introduction of structured and standardised mock examinations nationwide to better prepare candidates for the final assessment.
In addition, the statement emphasised the need for psychosocial support systems for students, noting that academic performance is closely linked to mental well-being, learning environments and socio-economic pressures.
The advocacy group concluded that without a clearly articulated and publicly monitored action plan, Ghana risks repeating the same outcomes in future examinations, with long-term implications for workforce readiness and national development.
