It’s fraudulent to compare GHASSCE results to WASSCE results – Dr. Apaak

The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak has stated that it is fraudulent to compare what he describe as GHASSCE result to WASSCE results.

According to him, Ghana exited the sub-regionally organised West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2020 for a local Ghana-made WASSCE, Ghana Senior School Certificate Examination (GHASSCE) due to COVID-19.

This comes on the back of President in addressing Chartered Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) stated that “Free SHS WASSCE Results Better Than Those Of 2016”.

In responding to President Akufo-Addo’s comments, the Builsa South lawmaker stated that President’s comments cannot be accurate.

“It’s fraudulent to compare GHASSCE results to WASSCE results. Ghana left the sub-regionally organised West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2020, in the wake of COVID-19, to organise a [local] Ghana-made WASSCE: Ghana Senior School Certificate Examination (GHASSCE).

“So, it’s intellectually dishonest to compare the 2022 GHASSCE results to the 2016 WASSCE results. If we want a true comparison, we must revert to WASSCE in 2024 so that we can compare oranges to oranges,” Dr. Apaak stated.

He continued: “The tertiary institutions are pushing for entrance examination because students get fantastic grades, yet when admitted, they struggle to survive at the tertiary level. Quality has been affected.”

Background

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo expressed profound gratitude and admiration for the invaluable contributions made by the Chartered Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS).

He disclosed this during the 61st Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools on October 11, 2023.

President Akufo-Addo also commended their dedication and support to the resounding success of the groundbreaking Free Senior High School (Free SHS) Policy, which was inaugurated in September 2017.

In his address, President Akufo-Addo extended his accolades to CHASS, recognizing their role in elevating the educational landscape by fostering an environment where students thrived.

He also lauded the remarkable achievements of students in the West African Senior High School (WASSCE) examinations since the inception of the Free SHS Policy.

According to President Akufo-Addo, the undeniable progress, he emphatically and effectively silenced detractors who had initially met the policy with resistance.

The President firmly asserted that the enhanced performance of students in the WASSCE examinations post-policy implementation had dispelled any lingering doubts about the validity and impact of the Free SHS policy.

He noted with satisfaction that the results of graduates from these institutions had consistently surpassed those of 2016, before he took office.

Additionally, President Akufo-Addo took the opportunity to remind the audience about the 2021 batch of students, who had achieved commendable results. These students, he highlighted, were pioneers of the double track system, a measure that had faced significant undeserved criticism upon its introduction.

The President then delved into the rationale behind the introduction of the Free SHS policy. He explained that upon assuming office in 2017, Ghana faced the unsettling reality of thousands of students, an average of one hundred thousand annually, who had successfully passed the Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E.) but couldn’t pursue their senior high school education due to financial constraints. The Free SHS policy was born out of the need to eliminate this educational inequality, ensuring that all qualified students could access quality secondary education without financial burdens.

Source: Today.com.gh