The government has rejected suggestions that it bears responsibility for the sharp decline in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results, insisting that the issues run deeper than political leadership.
Speaking at the inauguration of governing councils for four Colleges of Education, Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu described the outcome as troubling but argued that blame should not be hastily placed on the government or assessment bodies.
He said public debate around the results should move beyond finger-pointing and focus on long-standing challenges within Ghana’s secondary education system.
According to the minister, the performance drop should serve as a moment of reflection for all stakeholders, including school authorities, teachers, parents and policymakers.
He noted that while student success is often celebrated as individual effort, failure is quickly linked to political actors, a pattern he believes undermines honest evaluation of the sector.
He drew attention to persistent gaps in school infrastructure, explaining that many senior high schools continue to operate with facilities built decades ago.
In some cases, he said, enrolment has expanded without corresponding investment in dormitories, classrooms and teaching resources, putting pressure on both staff and students.
“In Ghana, when students perform well, we credit the students. When they fail, we blame the Minister. I refuse to accept that the government of President Mahama, the Ministry of Education, or the assessment body is responsible for this poor performance,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu also disclosed that the government has secured 200 million dollars from the World Bank to support infrastructure expansion and bring an end to the double-track system.
The plan includes upgrading Category C schools to Category B, promoting some Category B schools to Category A and expanding facilities in top-tier schools.
He expressed hope that these measures will gradually improve learning conditions and restore confidence in the country’s education outcomes.
