President John Dramani Mahama has linked the sharp decline in performance in the latest WASSCE to years of neglect at the basic education level.
Speaking at the launch of the STEMBox initiative for primary schools, he said the poor results expose deep weaknesses in foundational learning, problems made worse by chronic delays in releasing the capitation grant and the failure to ensure quality teaching at the basic level.
Mahama emphasised that a strong foundation is crucial for learner progression, warning that students without essential skills are moved through the system without the competence needed to excel.
“It emphasises the issue of foundational learning. One of the major things that has happened in recent years is the neglect of basic education, delays in the capitation grant and the inability to ensure quality teachers at the foundational level.
“That level prepares the child for secondary and tertiary education, and once you don’t get it right, you simply push the child through like a conveyor belt. At the end, quality control will show that this one did not do well. Our focus must be on foundational learning,” he said.
Describing the situation as a serious concern for government, parents, and the public, Mahama disclosed that he has tasked the Minister of Education with conducting a thorough analysis of the examiners’ report to uncover what triggered the dramatic drop in performance, especially given that teaching conditions remained the same.
“It has become a matter of great concern to government, parents, and the public. I have asked the minister to analyse the examiner’s report and decipher what could have gone so disastrously wrong.
“It is mind-boggling that with the same teachers and the same conditions, one batch performs so disastrously. We need to get to the bottom of it,” he added.
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