President John Dramani Mahama has voiced serious concern over the significant drop in student performance in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), describing the situation as “mind-boggling.”
Speaking at the launch of the STEMBox initiative for primary schools, the President said the poor results are a major concern for the government, parents, and the general public. He revealed that he has instructed the Minister of Education to conduct a thorough review of the examiners’ report to identify the factors behind the sharp decline.
“It has become an issue of great concern to the government, parents, and the public at large. I have asked the minister to analyse the examiners’ report and try to decipher what could have gone so disastrously wrong,” President Mahama said. “It is mind-boggling that with the same teachers and resources, one batch performs so poorly compared to another.”
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) reported that candidates performed poorly in core subjects, particularly Core Mathematics and Social Studies. According to John Kapi, WAEC’s Head of Public Relations, Core Mathematics saw the steepest decline, with A1–C6 passes dropping from 305,132 in 2024 to 209,068 in 2025—a reduction of over 96,000 passes. The overall pass rate fell to 48.73%, leaving more than half of candidates unable to meet the grades required for tertiary education.
Chief examiners attributed the decline not to the examination itself, but to weaknesses among candidates. In Mathematics, students struggled with representing data in diagrams, solving real-life problems, constructing cumulative frequency tables, and interpreting information. In Social Studies, they found it challenging to explain government policies, analyze the economic impact of costly funerals, and discuss Ghana’s cooperation with United Nations agencies.
The President’s remarks underscore the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges facing Ghanaian students and improving educational outcomes nationwide.
