“Despite all the noise making by our NPP friends, let’s pay attention to the facts” – Samuel Okudzeto writes
Touting the achievements of the ruling New Patriotic Party in the Educational sector, the deputy Minister for Education Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum indicated that, the number of candidates who will sit for the West African Senior Secondary School certificate this year is unpresidented.
According to him, Three Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Seven (313, 837) students will be sitting for this year’s WASSCE examination which is scheduled to Begin today 20th July,2020 can be attributed to the Free SHS Policy that created an accessible, equitable and quality education for every Ghanaian of Senior High school going age, no matter one’s background.
However, the Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency and a former Deputy Minister for Education Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has challenged his successor on the claim that the number of candidates who will sit for this year’s WASSCE examination is unpresidented.
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In a statement, Mr. Okudzeto argued that, in four years – President Mahama increased WASSCE candidates by 99,801 while President Akufo-Addo has increased same by only 39,575. A striking difference of 60,226. President Akufo-Addo’s comparative increase is far less than half of what his counterpart, President Mahama achieved in the same four year period.
BELOW IS THE COUNTER CLAIM STATEMENT FROM HON. SAMUEL OKUDZETO ABLAKWA
Despite all the chest-beating and noise making by our NPP friends, let’s pay attention to the facts
Unimpeachable statistics from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) reveal that in 2012, a total of 174,461 candidates sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). This figure impressively shot up during the tenure of President John Mahama to 274,262 candidates who sat for the 2016 WASSCE. This represents an actual increment of a staggering 99,801. That is by some *57.2%* over the period.
Notwithstanding President Akufo-Addo’s much touted Free SHS policy which the NDC has always maintained could have been better implemented without Double Track and the attendant suffocating congestion; WASSCE candidate numbers have seen an unimpressive increase from the 2016 figure of 274,262 to 313,837 in 2020. This works out to an actual increase of a relatively low 39,575 *or a mere 14.4%*.
Therefore, in four years – President Mahama increased WASSCE candidates by 99,801 while President Akufo-Addo has increased same by only 39,575. A striking difference of 60,226. President Akufo-Addo’s comparative increase is far less than half of what his counterpart, President Mahama achieved in the same four year period.
Visionary and pragmatic policy interventions will always triumph in the final analysis over populist knee-jerk programmes.
I do sincerely wish the 2020 WASSCE candidates the best of luck as they sit for their exam tomorrow under this extraordinarily difficult COVID-19 circumstances. May God bless their sacrifices.
