Claim: President Akufo-Addo has claimed that in 2016, 51.6% of candidates passed in English, 48.35% passed in integrated science, and 33.12% passed in mathematics.
Verdict: Misleading! The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the body responsible for administering the WASSCE, released the official results for 2016, which are contrary to the figures presented by the President.
Full Text
President Nana Akufo-Addo delivered his final State of the Nation Address on January 3, 2025. Among the topics discussed, he reflected on the state of education, referencing the performance of Ghanaian students in the 2016 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). However, a closer examination of his statements reveals discrepancies in his cited figures.
President Akufo-Addo stated that,
“From 2020, when the first cohort of Free Senior High School candidates sat for the WASSCE exam, Ghana has consistently recorded over 50% of candidates scoring A1 to C6 in all four core subjects. This marks a stark improvement compared to the years prior, particularly the period when pass rates in core subjects were largely below 50%.
“Indeed, only 51.6% of candidates achieved A1 to C6 in English in 2016, compared to a much higher 69.52% in 2024. For integrated science, the pass rate improved from 48.35% in 2016 to 58.77% in 2024,” the president added.
“Mathematics demonstrated the most dramatic progress, rising from a mere 33.12% pass rate in 2016 to an impressive 66.86% in 2024.”
In retrospect, the president’s figures for the 2024 results are correct, based on WAEC’s official results.
These figures were presented in contrast to students’ performance under his administration, presumably to highlight improvements in educational outcomes.
However, the president’s use of incorrect statistics for the 2016 WASSCE results may not seem significant at first glance, but accuracy in data is crucial, especially in official addresses.
Fact-checking such claims ensures accountability and fosters a more informed public discourse.
Verification
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), responsible for administering the WASSCE, released the official results in 2016. Here are the accurate figures:
- English: 53.19% of students passed.
- Science: 48.48% of students passed.
- Mathematics: 32.8% of students passed.
The data presented below is from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), a public statutory authority dedicated to improving all Ghanaian students’ learning experiences and results by establishing world-class curriculum, assessment, and reporting standards.
Discrepancies in the President’s Statement
- English: The President’s claim of 51.6% understates the actual performance by 1.6 percentage points.
- Science: He cited 48.35% which is 0.15 percentage points lower than the recorded 48.5%.
- Mathematics: The reported figure of 33.12% is 0.32 percentage points higher than the official 32.8%.
Conclusion
While President Akufo-Addo’s administration has undoubtedly made strides in education, his remarks on the 2016 WASSCE results contained inaccuracies. According to WAEC’s official data, students performed slightly better in English and Science than he claimed, while Mathematics results were marginally lower.