‘Big Shame!’ – Nigerian Parents, Teachers Unhappy As Ghanaian Students Top 2020 WASSCE

Parents and guardians have expressed worry after students from Ghana made the best grades in the 2020 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).  

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and some parents while expressing worry, described the development as a ‘big shame’.

The Union asked for the 2020 WASSCE result to be a wake-up call to resuscitate the Nigeria education system.  

In March 2021, Ghana swept all the top three International Excellence awards instituted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), seeking to honour candidates with outstanding performance in WASSCE.  

The trio, Cecil Tetteh Kumah, Godfred Aseda Obeng and Afua Manukure Ansah, took first, second, and third positions, respectively, and were awarded at the 69th annual council meeting of the organisation in Accra.  

Reacting to this in an interview on Nigerian Tribune, the General Secretary of NUT, Dr Mike Ene said for Ghana to sweep all the awards is worrying.

“For only Ghana winning gold, silver and bronze medals in the same examination written by countries like Nigeria which presented almost about 70 per cent of the total candidates, is not good enough for Nigerian image,” he said.  

NUT scribe explained that gone were the days when the standard of education in Ghana was below Nigeria’s. “Ghana had to strive to make things work to the extent that the country is now attracting many international students, including Nigerians into its schools while only a few foreign students, if any at all, come to study in Nigerian schools.

“So, it is all about vision, about political will, determination and commitment particularly on the part of the government,’ he added.  

The National President of Nigeria’s Parent- Teacher Association of Nigeria (NPTAN), Haruna Danjuma, on his part, lamented Nigeria’s education system characterised by constant strikes by various academic and non-academic workers.  

He also raised concern about inadequate infrastructure, learning tools, low morale amongst workers, students’ laziness, and above all, insufficient government funding.    

Danjuma, therefore, stated that until government approaches the issue holistically, Nigeria will continue to lag in the education sector.