The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, says he is not surprised by the widespread poor performance recorded in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), insisting the double-track system is a major contributing factor.
Speaking on Asempa FM, Mr. Carbonu said the structure of the double-track system has disrupted academic consistency for students over the years and has now manifested in their results.
“I am not surprised at all,” he said. “If children go to school and then come home for months before returning, while another group also rotates through the same cycle, how do we expect stable learning?”
According to him, the inconsistent academic calendar created by the double-track system deprived students of the structured learning environment required for effective preparation.
He noted that stakeholders, including teacher unions, repeatedly raised concerns about the long academic breaks, but their warnings were ignored.
“People even went to school for just two weeks and had to return home. We complained severally, but we were not listened to,” he added.
Mr. Carbonu further questioned the credibility of WASSCE results recorded from 2017 until recent years, arguing that changes in grading standards may have concealed the real academic weaknesses.
He challenged the host of the programme to contact WAEC for clarification on whether the grading system has remained unchanged over the years.
“The results before now, since 2017, should not be trusted,” he stressed. “Because grading systems can be changed. Ask WAEC if the grading has stagnated over all these years.”
He insisted that, unlike previous years, the 2025 WASSCE performance reflects the true academic strength of Ghanaian SHS students, saying all factors point to this year’s results as the most accurate assessment yet.
“Taking everything into consideration, this year’s WASSCE results is the true reflection of the academic strengths of our students,” he concluded.
