Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), Kofi Asare, has revealed that early findings from an ongoing national survey of senior high school teachers point to multiple internal and external factors behind the sharp decline in Ghana’s 2025 WASSCE performance.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Friday, December 5, he described the results as “very concerning” and stressed the need to identify the root causes rather than merely lament the drop in grades.
EduWatch is currently gathering responses from teachers nationwide, with 648 senior high school teachers submitting feedback as of Friday morning, December 12. Their responses, Mr. Asare noted, provide critical insight into what may have contributed to the poor performance, particularly in Core Mathematics.
According to the survey, 81% of teachers believe poor preparation for the examination is one of the top four causes of the decline.
“This overwhelming figure suggests that many students may not have adequately covered the syllabus or practiced sufficiently for the papers,” he said.
Another 46% of teachers identified strict invigilation and supervision as a major factor. Mr. Asare explained that tighter exam conditions this year, compared to previous years, may have exposed gaps in students’ independent problem-solving skills.
Additionally, 31% of respondents cited low levels of question and answer leakages, indicating that reduced access to leaked materials may have forced candidates to rely solely on their own preparation. Twenty-one percent of teachers pointed to the difficulty level of the questions as a contributing factor.
Beyond these categories, 24% of teachers selected “others,” highlighting issues such as excessive social media use, indiscipline, and over-reliance on teachers. Mr. Asare noted that these patterns offer a clearer picture of how behavioural and lifestyle factors may have also played a role.
“These insights give us a fair idea about what teachers believe contributed to the abysmal performance, especially in Mathematics. They will guide our advice to the Ghana Education Service, together with the Chief Examiner’s report, on the best way forward,” he said.
The comments come in the wake of the steepest WASSCE declines in recent years. A1–C6 passes in Core Mathematics plunged by more than 96,000, falling from 305,132 in 2024 to 209,068 in 2025. The overall pass rate stood at 48.73%, meaning more than half of candidates failed to attain the grades required for tertiary admission.
Further analysis shows that nearly one in four candidates failed both Core Mathematics and Social Studies, signalling widespread academic struggles across subject areas.
