Former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Prof Stephen Adei, says the grading system used for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) cannot be blamed for poor performance by candidates.
His comments come amid ongoing discussions about the latest WASSCE results, which recorded an overall improvement in candidates’ performance compared with the previous year.
Prof Adei argued that because the grading system has remained largely consistent over the years, it cannot adequately explain variations in examination outcomes from one year to another.
“You can’t blame the grading system, though I think that is unnecessarily complicated, but since it has been the same grading system in the previous years, it becomes a common denominator,” he said.
According to him, attention should instead be focused on factors such as the school placement system and possible changes in academic standards.
He, however, cautioned against using the results of a single examination year to make definitive conclusions about long-term trends in academic performance.
“So that cannot explain why many have failed or cannot be placed. It’s either the system of placement or standards are deteriorating, but even then, we cannot use one year to determine the trend statistically,” he said.
Prof Adei calls for simpler grading system
Although he rejected the grading system as an explanation for differences in candidates’ performance, Prof Adei acknowledged that the system itself could be made simpler.
“I personally think that the grading system is unnecessarily complicated. They should go for straight marking like the WASSCE and then use it,” he said.
He maintained that the consistency of the grading system over successive years makes it difficult to attribute changes in examination outcomes to the grading system.
“Well, the point is that so long as the grading system is consistent, it cannot be blamed,” he said.
Caution against judging academic standards from one year
Prof Adei further urged stakeholders to exercise caution when interpreting annual WASSCE results, stressing that a single year’s performance cannot by itself establish a statistically significant trend.
He acknowledged concerns about possible deterioration in academic standards but maintained that such conclusions would require analysis of performance over several years.
“But it remains a point to be made that the deterioration, even though one year cannot be a trend statistically,” he said.
His comments come as education stakeholders continue to assess the latest WASSCE results and debate the factors influencing candidates’ performance and access to their preferred second-cycle institutions.
