The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has stated that the Ghana Education Service (GES) lacks the authority to ban graduation ceremonies in private schools across Ghana. Speaking during an interview on Wednesday, July 15, GNACOPS National Executive Director Enoch Gyetuah, insisted that private institutions are not under the administrative control of the service.

He noted that private are still organising graduation activities as the Pre-Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (Act 1049), only allows GES to carry out education policies and managing implementation in public schools, rather than having broad authority over all aspects of education, including private schools.

“As we speak now, private schools are ongoing, celebrating their graduation ceremonies in a harmonious environment and in accordance with directives issued by the council for the private schools. The Ghana Education Service, as we speak now, is not the administrative body that regulates the entire education in Ghana based on law,” he said.

He further added, “As I’m talking to you now, last week private schools had their graduation; this week they are going to have [them]. We are doing so in accordance with the directives that we have given to them.”

His comments are a reaction to a recent directive by the GES suspending all Senior High School (SHS) “passing-out” ceremonies nationwide.

The completion of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is customarily marked by final-year students with celebratory events to signify the end of their Senior High School education.

During the event, some loved ones of the graduates award them with cars, money bouquets. However, the Ministry, in a press statement issued on Saturday, June 20, described the event as counterproductive to its initial purpose.

According to the Ministry, such events must focus on celebrating academic achievement and personal growth.

Part of the statement read, “The Ministry strongly condemns any conduct by students, parents, guardians, or other stakeholders that promotes extravagance and detracts from the true purpose of school ceremonies.”

It added, “The Ministry wishes to emphasize that schools are institutions for learning, character development, discipline, and the nurturing of responsible citizens. Graduation ceremonies are intended to celebrate academic achievement and personal growth and should therefore reflect the values of modesty, dignity, and respect associated with the educational environment.”

Ghana joined over 1 million students to sit for the exams. According to West African Examinations Council (WAEC), a total of 509,862 candidates sat for this year’s examination nationwide. The candidates comprised of 225,274 males and 284,588 females.

The 2026 examination process begun earlier with practical and project work in subjects such as Visual Arts and Home Economics.

2025 WASSCE performance Ghana

WAEC released the provisional results of the 2025 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) on Saturday, November 29.

The results show a massive surge in outright failure rates (Grade F9) across all four core subjects compared to the 2024 performance.

According to the provisional results released by WAEC, the percentage of students who failed Social Studies increased steeply from 9.55% in 2024 to 27.50% in 2025, representing a 188% increase.

The other core subjects, that is, Integrated Science and English Language, also saw a doubling of their previous failure rates.

For Integrated Science, the failure rate increased by 8.93%; that is, the 2024 rate was 7.12%, and in 2025 it increased to 16.05%.

The failure rate for the English Language also rose from 5.88% in 2024 to 12.86% in 2025. Core Mathematics recorded the sharpest decline, with the proportion of candidates who failed rising from 6.10% in 2024 to an alarming 26.77% in 2025, more than four times higher.

Consequently, only 48.73% of candidates achieved grades A1 to C6, a steep drop from the 66.86% recorded in 2024. In absolute terms, 209,068 candidates passed Core Maths, while 114,872 (26.77%) failed outright with an F9. Put simply, for every four students who sat for the exam, one failed Core Mathematics.

The core subjects are foundational: English, Mathematics, Integrated Science, and Social Studies are the backbone of Ghana’s education system. Failure in these means students lack the basic skills needed for higher education or employment.

The failure of core subjects by candidates this year comes with several major concerns, including career opportunities, social consequences, and the likely impact on the country’s economy.