In the wake of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, national attention has largely centred on broad systemic challenges of insufficient resources, syllabus completion pressures, teacher deployment gaps, and the impact of the academic calendar.
While these issues deserve attention, they often overshadow a critical reality: individual school performance is what ultimately shapes national outcomes.
As we look ahead to the May/June 2026 WASSCE, parent-teacher associations (PTAs) across Ghana need to redirect the spotlight to what is happening within their own schools.
This is the moment for PTAs to demonstrate proactive leadership and a renewed commitment to academic excellence.
Executive
To begin with, PTA executives in all senior high schools should urgently convene an emergency meeting with school authorities to discuss the school’s performance in the 2025 examinations.
Such a meeting must bring together parents, teachers, school leadership, and, where possible, representatives of the Board of Governors.
The aim is to ensure that all stakeholders are informed, not through assumptions or general commentary, but through clear evidence of how the school performed.
This level of openness and dialogue will form the basis for targeted and effective action as the next examination cycle approaches.
Engagement
As part of this engagement, PTAs must insist that school authorities present at least a four-year comparative analysis of the school’s WASSCE results.
This analysis should highlight trends in pass rates, subject-by-subject performance, improvements recorded over the period, persistent declines, and cohort variations.
A four-year window provides a realistic picture of performance trajectories and helps the school community understand long-term strengths and weaknesses.
Such an evidence-driven approach will shift discussions from general frustrations to a deeper understanding of what is specifically affecting the school.
Work
Once the data has been thoroughly reviewed, PTAs must work hand-in-hand with school authorities to initiate targeted interventions aimed at addressing the identified challenges.
These interventions may include improving instructional quality through refresher training and peer support, increasing time on task by protecting contact hours and strengthening discipline, and enhancing teacher motivation through recognition schemes or welfare support.
PTAs may also assist in establishing remedial classes, weekend lessons, structured revision sessions, and the provision of essential teaching and learning materials. These interventions must begin early and be sustained throughout the academic year to yield meaningful results.
Planning
However, planning alone is not enough; effective monitoring and supervision are crucial to achieving improvement.
PTAs should request regular updates from school authorities on teacher attendance, student discipline, syllabus completion, and the progress of intervention programmes.
They should also track internal assessment results, including class exercises and mock examinations, to detect early warning signs and support timely corrective actions.
Continuous monitoring ensures accountability and signals that academic performance is a shared priority, not an occasional concern.
Performance
Ultimately, improving WASSCE performance is a collective responsibility.
Teachers alone cannot carry the burden.
PTAs, school leaders, students and the wider community must all play active roles.
PTAs, in particular, serve as the bridge between the school and its stakeholders, and their involvement can significantly influence student outcomes.
As the 2026 WASSCE approaches, it is important to move from broad national discussions to focused, school-specific action.
Every school must understand its own strengths and weaknesses and work with urgency to improve.
The decisions taken today will shape the results of tomorrow.
The time to act is now.
Our children’s future depends on it.
The writer is a Lecturer, UCC; ED. – IFEST_Ghana
