Accra: Seventeen candidates of the Accra Senior High School were absent for Monday's Integrated Science paper in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination. Mr Fred Oppong Ampofo, Assistant Headmaster in charge of Academics, Accra High School, shared this information with the Ghana News Agency.
According to Ghana News Agency, eight of the absentees were males, while nine were females. In an interview, Mr Ampofo, also the Supervisor at the Centre, stated that a total of 737 candidates registered for the examinations, comprising 318 males and 419 females. "Since the beginning of the exams, we have encountered a few absentees, but today's figure is a little higher," he mentioned. He speculated that the nature of the subject might have deterred some students, saying, "Well, maybe being an Integrated Science paper, some of them are running away from the subject, but we will find out after the exams."
Mr Ampofo further explained that the school had prepared the candidates through guidance and counselling sessions to ensure they were psychologically ready for the examination. "We have written about three mock exams ahead of the paper, and I am sure with these interventions, the candidates will perform well, raise the image of the school, and qualify for tertiary institutions," he added.
The 2025 Chief Examiner's report outlined several areas where candidates had previously struggled, including definitions of relative atomic mass, graph work, and calculation of slope. It also noted challenges with spelling key scientific terminologies, drawing bar magnets and lines of force, describing post-harvest practices, identifying reagents for testing foods, and drawing genetic diagrams. Mr Ampofo confirmed that the school had addressed these shortcomings with the candidates to better prepare them for the exams. "We have asked them not to do the wrong things, which we found in the Chief Examiner's report. We are sure that they listened to us, and so they would not make such mistakes, and would get very good passes," he said, advising students to focus on their studies and avoid exam malpractice.
In another development, Mr Anselm Yaw Gyimah, Head of Department for General Science at Aquinas Senior High School, reported that his school had implemented several interventions, including weekend lessons, to enhance students' understanding of scientific concepts. "We are adequately prepared for the exams and put in place interventions with four teachers teaching all the science subjects. We are confident that the students would perform better because science is one of our major strongholds," he explained.
Students, too, expressed confidence in their preparation. Mr Michael Narh, a candidate from St Thomas Aquinas Senior High School, stated that he found the paper manageable and anticipated a good grade. "I was able to answer all the questions and look forward to a good grade, nothing below grade B," he said.
Mrs Olivia Serwaa Opare, Director of STEM Education at the National Science Resource Centre, emphasized the impact of a standards-based curriculum in making science education more engaging. "The interventions allowed the learners to explore and do more research for better understanding of the subject. With these interventions we are confident that there will be much better performance in this year's exams, especially with science and mathematics," she noted.
The previous year saw a decline in Integrated Science performance, with results dropping to 57.74 percent in 2025, down from 58.77 percent in 2024. The performance had been stronger in 2023 at 66.82 percent and 62.45 percent in 2022, with 2025 marking the weakest result over the four-year period.