2026 WASSCE: Dr. Apaak rejects ‘education crisis’ claims, cites gains in Maths and Social Studies

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has rejected claims that Ghana’s secondary education system has collapsed, arguing that the 2026 WASSCE results show significant improvements in three of the four core subjects.

In a statement, he said the results revealed areas that required urgent attention but did not support claims of an unprecedented national education crisis.

“The assertion that Ghana’s secondary education system has collapsed is demonstrably false,” he said.

According to Dr. Apaak, all four core subjects recorded credit pass rates of at least 60 per cent in 2026. Core Mathematics rose from 48.73 per cent in 2025 to 60.75 per cent, while Integrated Science increased from 57.74 per cent to 62.08 per cent.

Social Studies recorded the biggest improvement, rising from 55.82 per cent in 2025 to 78.04 per cent in 2026. WAEC’s published figures confirm the gains in the three subjects.

However, Dr. Apaak acknowledged a decline in English Language performance, which fell from 69 per cent in 2025 to 62.40 per cent.

“The Ministry acknowledges that this decline is a genuine red flag that requires an urgent policy response,” he said.

He maintained that the government would confront weaknesses in the education sector rather than manipulate examination figures to create an impression of improved performance.

“Presenting realistic pass rates is the crucial first step toward diagnosing actual learning gaps, rather than concealing them behind politically inflated figures,” Dr. Apaak said.

The Deputy Minister also defended the government’s stricter approach to examination malpractice, saying the 2026 WASSCE results were a product of efforts to ensure that certificates accurately reflected students’ academic performance.

WAEC cancelled the entire results of 861 candidates for possessing mobile phones in examination halls and cancelled subject results of 7,434 candidates for bringing foreign materials into the examination halls. The Council also withheld other results over suspected examination offences and alleged collusion.

Dr. Apaak said such measures were necessary to restore confidence in the examination system.

On the ongoing 2026 BECE school placement exercise, Dr. Apaak rejected claims that more than 200,000 young people had been denied access to secondary education.

He said the Ministry declared 859,828 vacancies for 623,072 candidates who sat the BECE, meaning the challenge was not a national shortage of places but the concentration of demand in particular schools.

“The issue is not a shortage of places, but concentrated demand,” he said.

He explained that more than 313,000 candidates selected Category A schools as their first choice, competing for 76,417 available places, while Category B and C schools had more than 719,000 combined vacancies.

Dr. Apaak said more than 527,000 candidates, representing about 87.3 per cent of qualified students, were placed automatically during the first phase.

He added that the government was upgrading 30 Category C schools to Category B, completing 30 E-Blocks and expanding classroom and dormitory infrastructure to address pressure on high-demand schools. The 2026 Budget also provides for these interventions.

“At the Ministry of Education, we believe that the future of our education depends on honest assessment, genuine accountability, and uncompromised examination integrity,” Dr. Apaak said.

He called on stakeholders to focus the education debate on evidence-based solutions rather than what he described as sensationalised crisis narratives.