Decline in 2025 WASSCE results due to tighter exam supervision – Prof Adei

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Prof Stephen Adei

Prof Stephen Adei, a renowned educationist, has said stricter invigilation prevented cheating that could have inflated scores in the 2025 WASSCE results.

The renowned educationist asserted that the decline exposed the long-standing weaknesses in Ghana’s education system.

According to him, stronger exam supervision by WAEC has limited the extensive cheating that often increases results.

Prof Adei further noted that Ghana’s results depend not so much on the students’ performance, but also on how many people get away with murder.

Speaking on the Joy FM Super Morning Show, Prof Adei detailed, “The reality could be that invigilation and vigilance were better during the last examination, because examination malpractice is so widespread that a lot of them, even the passes we see, so it depends whether WAEC has been a bit more vigilant and put in a better system.”

“The decline may not be actually worse performance, but much better supervision of the examination,” he added.

The professor added, “First of all, this is not something that is happening today. It has been with us for a long time. Some of us have been talking about it after the examination. Everybody thought we heard it, and it goes quiet.”

“The main source of the problem happens at the basic school level before the secondary school. The foundation we have in the public schools is what the World Bank describes as ‘schooling without learning’.”

“Generally, we don’t have the right material for about half of them. It’s almost like a wholesale promotion. Unless we tackle a fundamental issue of almost producing illiterate people at the basic level, in fact, these results will be the best we can hope for.”

He further cited his own experience, “In fact, in the branch of our school in my village, when they come from public schools, we spend one full year for them to meet the normal JHS standard before they proceed to the senior secondary school.”

Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has said the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results accurately reflect student performance.

According to the Ghana Education Service (GES), the claims by Dr Yaw Osei-Adutwum, the past Education Minister, attributing the failure to unsupportive management practices are baseless.

They revealed that the GES has cancelled any allowances due to teachers, as claimed by Dr Yaw Osei-Adutwum.

In a statement on Monday, 1 December 2025, the GES stated, “The Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has taken note of public discussions following the release of the 2025 WASSCE results. Management provides clarity to aid a balanced national conversation.

Management takes note of attempts by Dr Yaw Osei-Adutwum, immediate past Minister of Education, to attribute the performance of students in the 2025 WASSCE to unsupportive management practices of GES.

It is not true that the GES has cancelled any allowances due to teachers, as claimed by Dr Adutwum in his engagement with some media houses. Indeed, the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) has publicly clarified reasons for the non-payment of the November allowances for teachers”.

It further added, “GES urges the public to disregard the statements made by the former Minister, Dr Adutwum, regarding the 2025 WASSCE results and treat them as an attempt to shift focus from his shortcomings in managing the examination process.

Management of GES views the 2025 WASSCE results as a true reflection of the academic performance of the candidates. The outcome is a credible representation of students’ abilities”.

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