The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed claims by former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum that poor management practices contributed to the decline in students’ performance in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The service described the comments as misplaced and urged the public to ignore them.
In a statement issued on Monday, December 1, 2025, and signed by the Head of Public Relations, Daniel Fenyi, the GES said the 2025 results reflected the true academic performance of candidates.
“Management has taken note of attempts by Dr Yaw Osei-Adutwum, immediate past Minister for Education, to attribute the performance of students in the 2025 WASSCE to unsupportive management practices of GES,” the statement said.
It added that Dr Adutwum’s remarks were inaccurate and did not reflect the realities of the examination process.
The 2025 WASSCE recorded widespread drops across core subjects. Only 55.82 per cent of candidates obtained grades A1 to C6 in Social Studies, down from 71.53 per cent in 2024, the lowest in four years, according to data from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Core Mathematics saw the steepest decline, with just 48.73 per cent passing, compared with 66.86 per cent in 2024. The failure rate rose sharply, from 6.10 per cent in 2024 to 26.77 per cent in 2025, meaning nearly one in every four candidates failed the subject.
English Language recorded 69 per cent, a slight change from 69.52 per cent in 2024, while Integrated Science dropped to 57.74 per cent from 58.77 per cent the previous year.
A total of 461,736 candidates from 1,021 schools sat for the examination, a marginal rise over the 460,611 candidates registered in 2024.
Mr Fenyi attributed the outcome partly to tighter supervision across examination centres.
According to him, strict invigilation and adherence to examination rules led to the arrest of students and some staff who attempted to cheat.
“The 2025 WASSCE was conducted under heightened invigilation, strengthened supervision, and strict adherence to examination protocols across all centres. These measures led to the apprehension of some students and staff who would have engaged in malpractices,” the statement added.
GES stated that Dr Adutwum’s claims were an attempt to divert attention from his own role in managing the examination during his tenure as minister.
Responding to the former minister’s claim that teachers’ allowances had been cancelled, the GES said this was untrue.
It explained that the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department had already provided reasons for the delay in paying November allowances.
“It is not true that the GES has cancelled any allowances due to teachers, as claimed by Dr Adutwum. The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department has publicly explained the reasons for the non-payment,” the statement said.
The GES maintained that the 2025 results offered a clear picture of candidates’ academic work and signalled improvements in the integrity of the examination process.
“The outcome is a credible representation of students’ abilities,” it said.
The service added that maintaining a credible examination system remained in the interest of students, schools, and the country as a whole.
The GES also reminded students that Ghana will revert to the international WASSCE in May/June 2026 and urged them to prepare thoroughly for the transition.
“Management will not compromise the integrity of examinations and will continue to work with heads of schools, teachers, students, parents, communities, civil society organisations and WAEC to improve teaching, learning and examination integrity,” it said.
The response from GES comes amid public debate triggered by the release of the 2025 WASSCE results, which many say reflect deeper challenges in the country’s education system.
Below is the full statement:
