Teacher and Student Commitment Key To WASSCE Success – Eduwatch Survey Finds
Teacher commitment, student commitment and additional instructional support have emerged as the three major factors most likely to influence success in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
This is contained in a Risk and Enabler Pulse Survey (REEPS) conducted by Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) two weeks before the release of the 2026 WASSCE results.
The survey, which sampled 301 school heads across the country in August 2026, asked respondents to rank up to five factors likely to positively affect results and up to six factors likely to negatively affect results, from most to least influential.
According to the findings, teacher commitment was the strongest reported enabler, selected by 81 per cent of school heads, while student commitment followed at 66 per cent.
Additional instructional support and parental support were each selected by 64 per cent, showing strong reliance on people-centred inputs.
Availability of textbooks and Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs) was selected by 52 per cent as the lowest share among the positive factors.
On the risk side, distractions from tablets and phones, expectations of examination malpractice, and weak foundational skills were identified as the biggest likely contributors to poor results.
Distractions from tablets and phones led with 64 per cent, exam malpractice followed with 62 per cent, and weak foundational learning skills with 60 per cent, each cited by a majority of school heads.
Inadequate textbooks and teaching and learning materials followed at 54 per cent, limited instructional time at 42 per cent, high class sizes at 32 per cent, and other factors at 8 per cent.
The survey also highlighted open-ended responses which flagged absenteeism, truancy, indiscipline and a shortage of classroom furniture.
For the way forward, Eduwatch says the findings show that school heads are most concerned about discipline, integrity and foundational learning, while also identifying teacher and student commitment as the strongest drivers of expected performance.
It recommends that the Ghana Education Service (GES) should strengthen restrictions on mobile phone and tablet use in schools, the Ministry of Education (MoE) must support WAEC to strengthen exam centre invigilation and supervision, and GES and school heads should enhance teacher recognition and motivation.
It further urges MoE and GES to prioritise foundational learning support at the basic level, and for MoE to improve school furniture and textbook supply and reduce high class sizes.
“The message is clear: MoE, GES, Parents, Schools; you know what needs to be done to improve WASSCE outcomes. The evidence points us toward the interventions that matter,” Eduwatch stated.
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