President Nana Akufo-Addo has described results from students in the 2022 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) as best in the last eight years – indicating this is proof that the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy is working well.
According to the president, six years after implementing the FSHS policy, which has guaranteed a minimum of Senior High School (SHS) education for 1.7 million Ghanaian children – the highest such enrolment in the country’s history – the policy and its results are thus far commendable.
He noted that the 2022 WASSCE results show 60.39 percent of students recording A1-C6 grade scores in English, as opposed to 51.6 percent in 2016. Likewise, 62.45 percent in Integrated Science compared to 48.35 percent; 61.39 percent against 33.12 percent in Mathematics; and 71.51 percent to 54.55 percent in Social Studies.
“The 2022 results are the best in the last eight (8) years. Surely, there can no longer be any controversy about the Free SHS policy’s validity and its consequential measures. It is working, and working well.
“Lest we forget, the 2021 batch of students – who also obtained very commendable results – were pioneers of the double-track system which elicited a lot of vilification and unfounded criticism on its introduction,” he said.
He made these remarks while delivering an address at the 70th Anniversary Celebration of Opoku Ware Senior High School on Saturday 3rd December, in Kumasi.
According to the president, as a result of these wonderful outcomes his government will continue to invest heavily in the FSHS programme despite the economic crisis.
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, in the 2023 budget statement presentation said: “The total number of government will continue with implementing the Free SHS programme and continue facilitating access to various educational items. This is a reiteration of the president’s statement, that indeed government is committed to investing more and ensuring continuation of the policy.
