President John Mahama Blames Poor WASSCE Results on Years of Basic Education Neglect

President John Dramani Mahama says the sharp decline in this year’s WASSCE performance stems from longstanding neglect of basic education.

Speaking at the launch of the STEMBox programme for primary schools, he explained that the disappointing results expose major deficiencies in foundational learning—problems worsened by chronic delays in releasing the capitation grant and challenges in maintaining quality teaching at the primary level.

Mahama emphasised that strong foundational skills are critical for academic progression, warning that students who lack these basics are pushed through the system without the competencies needed to excel.

“It highlights the crisis in foundational learning. Over the past several years, basic education has been neglected—delays in releasing the capitation grant and failure to ensure quality teachers at that level. This is the stage that prepares children for secondary and tertiary education, and when we fail there, we merely push them through like a conveyor belt. At the end, quality control will show the output is weak. That is why we must prioritise foundational learning.”

He described the situation as deeply troubling for government, parents, and the public.

Mahama revealed that he has tasked the Minister of Education with analysing the examiners’ report to determine what caused such a drastic drop in students’ performance—especially since the teaching conditions remained largely the same.

“It is a matter of serious concern. I have asked the minister to study the examiners’ report and find out what could have gone so terribly wrong. It is mind-boggling that with the same teachers and similar conditions, one year group performs so poorly. We must uncover the root causes.”