The 2025 West African Senior Schools Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results have sparked nationwide concern as data show a sharp decline in student performance across nearly all core subjects, marking the worst outcome in four years. The newly released figures paint a troubling picture of Ghana’s secondary education system, with Mathematics, Integrated Science, and Social Studies recording alarming drops that education analysts say can no longer be dismissed as routine fluctuations.
Dramatic Decline
The most dramatic decline occurred in Core Mathematics, where only 48.73% of candidates attained pass grades (A1– C6), compared to 66.86% in 2024. This represents a collapse of nearly 20 percentage points in just one year, the steepest fall in the subject’s recent history. The breakdown shows that 114,872 students—over a quarter of all candidates—scored F9, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of teaching and learning strategies in schools.
Integrated Science continued its downward trajectory. After peaking at 66.82% in 2023, performance fell to 58.77% in 2024 and further to 57.74% in 2025. The persistent decline threatens Ghana’s ambitions in STEM education, where science competence is foundational.
Social Studies
The situation is even more disturbing in Social Studies, a subject designed to promote civic understanding and national consciousness. From 76.76% in 2023, the pass rate slipped to 71.53% in 2024 before plummeting to 55.82% in 2025. The 2025 results show that 122,449 candidates— more than 27%— recorded F9, signalling a dramatic erosion in performance within a short period.
Only English Language showed relative stability, with 69% achieving A1– C6. Even so, performance has stagnated rather than improved raising concerns about literacy development.
Worse Results
This years results in the worse performance recorded in all core subjects. Except for English, every core subject has declined significantly.
Analysts warn that such systemic deterioration suggests deeper structural challenges beyond student effort.
Education observers say the data point to possible failings in teaching quality, supervision, resource allocation, curriculum delivery, and learning environments. With Mathematics collapsing, Science sliding backward, and Social Studies in freefall, many argue that the system— not the students—is failing.
Call for Action
Stakeholders are calling for urgent, honest reforms before the nation’s educational foundations weaken further.
