GNACOPS Sounds Alarm Over 2025 WASSCE Meltdown

Says it’s a Symptom of Systemic Collapse

By Philip Antoh, The New Republic Education Desk

The 2025 West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results have ignited fierce criticism from Obengfo Kwasi Gyetuah, Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), who brands the mass failure a stark manifestation of a broken education system.

Describing the outcome as a “national disaster,” Obengfo Gyetuah warned that the abysmal performance is no mere coincidence but a symptom of systemic failures that the introduction of the Standards-Based Curriculum (SBC) in 2018 was meant to fix but ultimately failed to do.

“The system’s collapse is not an overstatement—it reflects a harsh reality where students emerge unprepared for the demands of the 21st century,” he told The New Republic in an exclusive interview.

The SBC, conceived to cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, clashes jarringly with an examination regime still entrenched in rote memorization. Obengfo contends this mismatch has birthed a generation unable to thrive academically or professionally.

“This disconnect between curriculum and exams exposes the deep flaws in policy execution,” he said.

The fallout is grave. Students steeped in the SBC find themselves unfairly penalized by outdated testing mechanisms, sowing disillusionment and eroding motivation. “The human cost is immeasurable, betraying the trust of learners and squandering educational investments,” he lamented.

Obengfo squarely blames the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for perpetuating this crisis, citing their failure to sync curriculum reforms with assessment methodologies as a “recipe for disaster.”

To arrest the decline, he calls for urgent overhaul: national tests must align with SBC goals, incorporating project-based and internal evaluations to capture a fuller picture of student abilities. Teacher training and resources need a massive boost, especially in rural schools starved of textbooks, labs, and digital tools.

He stressed embracing modern technology and innovative assessments that prioritize analytical and creative skills over regurgitation. “Our nation’s future hinges on education fit for our times. Ghana owes its children nothing less than a system that equips them for global challenges. The status quo has failed; transformative change is overdue,” Obengfo declared.

As Ghana grapples with an education emergency, GNACOPS’ stark diagnosis adds urgency to calls for systemic reform lest the nation’s talent pipeline sputters irreversibly.