Tema: Education authorities have been urged to review the Senior High School (SHS) education system to help improve results in the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Madam Comfort Tani Alhassan, the Executive Director of the Collective Action Against Property (CAAP Ghana), made this call in response to the poor 2025 WASSCE results, highlighting the negative impacts of the double-track system on teaching and learning.
According to Ghana News Agency, Madam Alhassan explained that the system has reduced contact hours and study time, which adversely affected students' performance during the WASSCE, resulting in unacceptable outcomes. In an interview in Tema, she elaborated that students experienced fewer hours in class and less study time, directly impacting their performance.
She also pointed out that the double-track system affected teaching staff by eliminating breaks and vacation time, disrupting their lesson plans, and creating other challenges that compromise the quality of education.
Sharing her concerns, Madam Felicia Mawuli, a parent, noted that compressed academic calendars and hybrid learning formats could increase mental discomfort among students. This situation makes it difficult for them to comprehend and retain essential materials, leading to lower academic achievements. She also mentioned the lack of resources, such as textbooks and other learning materials, as a significant hindrance to providing quality and efficient education.
Miss Sylvia Akoto, an SHS graduate, shared her experience noting that mathematics posed one of the biggest challenges, especially for female students. Many struggled with mathematics due to a lack of foundational understanding, making it difficult to grasp more advanced concepts. Miss Akoto suggested that maths anxiety and a fear of failure further hinder students' confidence and motivation.
She appealed to education stakeholders to focus on building strong foundational knowledge, which could significantly enhance students' performance in mathematics and other subjects.