The West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) students produced remarkable results compared to the previous eight years, the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said, adding that his Free SHS program is functioning extremely well.
The President referred to the 2022 WASSCE results as the best in the previous eight years while making an allusion to the successful policy.
"The results for 2022 are the best in the previous eight (8) years. There can certainly no longer be any debate over the legality of the Free SHS policy and its ensuing actions. The President added, "It's working, and it's working well.
These statements were given by President Akufo-Addo during the weekend in Kumasi at the Opoku Ware Senior High School's (OWASS) 70th anniversary celebration.
He said that in 2022, 61.39% of students earned an A1–C6 grade in mathematics, compared to 33.12% in 2016, 62.45% in integrated science, compared to 48.35% in 2016, and 71.51% in social studies, compared to 54.55% in 2016.
He emphasized that despite criticism of the double track system, the results of the class of 2021 were equally excellent.
The President said, "Let's not forget that the 2021 class of students, who also achieved extremely remarkable accomplishments, were the forerunners of the double track system, which at its debut generated a lot of vilification and unwarranted criticism.
For the sake of gifted pupils whose parents are unable to pay their tuition, the President vowed to maintain the program.
A total of 422,883 applicants from 977 schools, including 203,753 men and 219,130 women, took the test.
This number is 5.25 percent less than the 446,352 entry number for 2021. 2,818 (0.6796) of the applicants who enrolled for the test were not present for it.
According to WAEC data, throughout a three-year period, the applicants performed higher in social studies (2020-2022).
A government effort launched in September 2017 is the Free SHS program.