President Akufo-Addo has criticised former President John Dramani Mahama for his comments on the 2023 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination results, describing them as misguided sentiments.
The former President and NDC flagbearer for 2024 claims that some invigilators relax at their work to allow some instructors to help students with answering the questions.
Speaking during the 187th speech and prize-giving ceremony at Cape Coast Wesley Girls High School, President Akufo-Addo refuted the criticism.
“Contrary to the normal experience, the large excess and improved quality have gone hand in hand. Long may this continue.
“It is a pity though that the sad nature of aspects of contemporary Ghanaian politics drove some otherwise allegedly responsible people including your former President and current NDC Presidential candidate, to question the integrity of the results happily without any foundation and to attribute these results to cheating,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
“Students of Wesley Girls High School, do you cheat in examinations? This loud no will send a strong message to those who expressed these unfortunate, misguided sentiments,” the President stressed.
The results of the 2023 WASSCE, according to the President, also demonstrate the calibre of instruction provided by the free senior high school programme.
“The WASSCE results of the students I proudly call the Akufo-Addo graduates have shown that the quality of education has not deteriorated, but on the contrary, it has improved significantly.
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“The results of the Akufo-Addo graduates in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 are the only years in the past decade that show that more than 50% of the candidates obtained A1 to C6 in all core subjects,” said President Akuffo-Addo.
Background
Former President Mahama, on his “Building Ghana Tour,” remarked that students were allowed to cheat in the 2023 WASSCE.
Mr. Mahama’s comments followed Education Minister Yaw Osei-Adutwum’s comparison of 2015 and 2023 WASSCE results, saying students performed better in 2023 than in 2015.
“In many places, they let the children cheat. You go to places and the teachers are conniving with the students to cheat. The effect will be seen later,” Mr. Mahama said.
The former President emphasised that the development would have disastrous long-term effects on the nation’s educational system.
“You certify these children saying they are of this standard either the BECE or SSCE and that child will use that certificate, go abroad to a school and they will find out that your qualification is not up to the standard you say it is,” he said.