The Member of Parliament for Jirapa, Cletus Seidu Dapilah, has taken a swipe at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), urging the leadership to “sit up” and provide stronger motivation for its members amid growing concerns over the performance of teachers at the basic level.
Speaking in reaction to the 2025 WASSCE results during his submission on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on Tuesday, December 2, the Jirapa MP argued that GNAT staff appear to enjoy better conditions than classroom teachers who “pay dues and do the actual work in the field,” adding that the disparity partly influenced his decision to leave the teaching profession.
Mr. Dapilah called for far-reaching reforms within the education sector, insisting that stakeholders must engage in a “holistic, non-partisan conversation” about the future of Ghana’s education system.
According to him, the country cannot expect “magic” at the senior high level when little investment is made in foundational learning at the primary stage.
His comments come on the back of what has been described as a worrying decline in the performance of candidates in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
A total of 461,736 candidates – comprising 207,415 males and 254,321 females from 1,021 schools – registered for this year’s exam, representing a marginal 0.24% increase over the 2024 figure.
WAEC also reported that 5,821 candidates (1.26%) failed to sit for the papers.
Overall performance across the four core subjects showed mixed results:
- English Language: 69.00% passed (A1–C6)
- Mathematics (Core): 48.73% passed
- Integrated Science: 57.74% passed
- Social Studies: 55.82% passed
The sharp drop in Mathematics and Social Studies performance means nearly one in four candidates failed both subjects, heightening calls for reforms at the foundational level of education.
By: Gota Lois Atsufe Quarcoo | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
