Accra: Former Minister of Education, Yaw Osei Adutwum, has attributed the decline in the 2025 WASSCE results to the absence of a consistent and data-driven education strategy. He emphasized the importance of a clearly defined formula to sustain academic excellence, supported by continuous assessment, targeted interventions, and effective teacher support.
According to Ghana Web, Dr. Adutwum explained that during his tenure, decisions were informed by annual reports from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), which identified subjects and topics that posed challenges for students. The Ministry utilized this data to organize targeted training sessions for teachers, involving examiners and subject experts to enhance instruction in areas where students struggled.
Dr. Adutwum highlighted the significance of extra academic support, such as additional classes, in improving student outcomes. He revealed that teachers were compensated to conduct extra classes, which provided students with the necessary preparation and strengthened their understanding.
The former minister also mentioned that his administration monitored performance trends across regions and subjects to pinpoint underperforming schools and implemented interventions accordingly. This regional monitoring allowed for specific interventions, such as addressing chemistry struggles in one region and biology weaknesses in another.
Teacher placement challenges were also noted as affecting student performance, with instances of teachers handling subjects outside their expertise. Dr. Adutwum stated that correcting such mismatches led to improved performance.
He asserted that the combination of data analysis, teacher training, regional monitoring, and extended learning hours contributed to better pass rates during his administration. However, he cautioned that the discontinuation of these interventions and the lack of policy continuity were hindering progress in the education sector.