Blame Akufo-Addo, not Mahama for poor WASSCE performances – Dr. Apaak

The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has blamed the abysmal performance recorded in the recent West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) on the erstwhile Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

He dismissed claims that the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government or President John Dramani Mahama should be held responsible.

Dr. Apaak made these remarks while addressing guests at the official launch of the 50th anniversary celebration of Zamse Senior Technical School (ZAMSE) in Bolgatanga.

His comments come amid public debate over the poor outcomes recorded by a majority of candidates in the 2025 WASSCE.

Questioning attempts to shift blame onto the current government, Dr. Apaak asked pointedly, “Who was in charge when these students were in year one? Who was in charge when they were in year two?”

He explained that the students who wrote the examination completed most of their academic journey under the Akufo-Addo administration, long before the NDC assumed office.

According to him, the current Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, took office in February 2025, while he himself joined in April 2025.

“The students started their practicals in May 2025. So if we are to be honest and lay blame, it is Nana Akufo-Addo and the previous NPP government, not John Mahama and his NDC government,” he stressed.

Dr. Apaak criticised what he described as misplaced priorities under the former government, citing the lack of textbooks for students at the junior high school level.

He noted that instead of investing in essential teaching and learning materials, the Akufo-Addo administration spent a staggering GH¢68 million on procuring past examination questions and examiners’ reports.

“As experts have rightly observed, the system became one of ‘chew, pour, pass and forget,’” he said, arguing that such practices undermined genuine learning and critical thinking among students.

He further stated that the current government deliberately refused to interfere in the examination process or encourage artificial inflation of results.

“We decided not to influence headmasters to promote cheating just to meet KPIs. We deployed a robust system of invigilation and supervision and warned school heads and teachers of severe consequences if found complicit in examination malpractice,” he explained.

Dr. Apaak emphasized that allowing the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to operate independently was a conscious decision aimed at restoring credibility to Ghana’s education system, even if it meant confronting uncomfortable outcomes.

Expressing concern over the long-term impact of inflated grades, he warned that producing students with multiple As who cannot construct simple sentences does more harm than good.

“Many become frustrated, and some even resort to suicide. That is not the way to go,” he said soberly.

He concluded by assuring stakeholders that the government is committed to addressing the challenges exposed by the results. President Mahama, he revealed, has directed the ministry to study WAEC’s chief examiner’s reports to identify gaps and implement reforms.

While acknowledging the poor performance, Dr. Apaak insisted the government would not accept criticism from those who, in his words, “laid the foundation for this abysmal performance.”