Private Schools Cry Foul Over Delayed WASSCE Results
The Conference of Heads of Private Second-Cycle Schools (CHOPSS) has expressed grave concern over the West African Examination Council’s (WAEC) inability to release the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results. The delay, attributed to the breakdown of scanners used for processing objective cards, has been blamed on the Ministry of Education’s outstanding payment of GHC118,000,000.00 to WAEC.
CHOPSS National President, IK Mensah, emphasized that private schools have been unfairly affected, despite their students paying WASSCE registration fees in full. With university admission deadlines looming in January 2025, Mensah urged the government to disburse the outstanding payment to WAEC, enabling the immediate release of results.
This development is the latest in a series of challenges faced by private senior high schools in Ghana. For eight years, they have been excluded from the free Senior High School (SHS) policy, leading to a significant decline in enrollment. CHOPSS has repeatedly called for inclusion in the policy, arguing that private schools have historically partnered with the government to provide quality education ¹.
The situation has left private school administrators, parents, and students frustrated and concerned about their future. CHOPSS has warned that if a positive response is not forthcoming, they will be compelled to take further action in collaboration with parents and students.
