Minority Leader Calls for National Conversation on Education

The Minority Leader in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Efutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called for an urgent national conversation on Ghana’s education system following concerns over the latest WASSCE results and the ongoing BECE school placement process.

According to him, the latest examination results should concern every Ghanaian, warning that the performance of students points to serious challenges that could threaten the future of the country’s youth.

He said 183,233 young people completed secondary school without obtaining a credit in Core Mathematics, while the credit pass rate in English Language fell to 62.40 percent, its lowest level in four years.

Mr Afenyo-Markin noted that performance in both subjects remains below the levels recorded in 2024, describing the situation as one that requires urgent attention from policymakers, educators and other stakeholders.

He also raised concerns about the BECE placement process, saying 54,985 candidates were initially denied automatic placement despite government figures indicating that there were 859,828 vacancies for 623,072 candidates.

He said there were also reports of some children being wrongly placed in special schools, while others arrived at their assigned schools only to find that there was no space for them.

“A self-placement portal is not a school place; every child needs an actual seat in a functioning classroom,” he stressed.

The Minority Leader argued that more than 200,000 young Ghanaians could be at risk of being left behind at different stages of the secondary-school system if the challenges are not addressed.

He therefore called on the government to publish the final placement outcomes, explain the rules and pass marks applied in the placement process, and properly fund teaching and remedial programmes.

He further urged the government to provide clear pathways into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), apprenticeships and skills training for students who did not obtain the required WASSCE credits.

Mr Afenyo-Markin said the Mahama administration must treat the situation as a major national crisis requiring immediate action and sustainable solutions.

He called for an honest national conversation on educational funding, teaching quality, contact hours, teacher motivation, learning materials, infrastructure and supervision.

According to him, the discussion must rise above partisan politics because the future of an entire generation is at stake.

He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP), while in government, expanded access through the Free Senior High School programme and introduced opportunities in free TVET, apprenticeships and skills development because it believed poverty or examination results should not permanently deny any Ghanaian child a future.

“The 54,985 BECE candidates need real school places; the 183,233 WASSCE graduates need a second chance,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin said parents were worried, children were anxious and teachers were under pressure, stressing that the country could not afford to ignore the warning signs emerging from the education sector.

“When our children’s education is in crisis, Ghana’s future is in danger. The time to act is now,” he added.