Ghana topped the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) with the highest number of grade A results.
A total of 411 out of the 465 candidates who scored grade A in all subjects at the last year’s WASSCE were students from Ghana pioneering the Government’s Free Senior High School (SHS) Programme.
The immediate past Minister for Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh disclosed this at the fourth Session of the fifth Congregation of the University for Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho on Saturday.
He reiterated that the 2020 was the only academic year in which 50 per cent of Ghanaian students scored A1 to C6 in all core subjects.
Dr Opoku Prempeh who is now the Minister for Energy said this remarkable achievement vindicated President Nana Akufo-Addo’s commitment to free education, which is the lifeline to the nation’s growth and must therefore be given the needed support.
“This clear testament to the vision of President Akufo Addo’s Free SHS programme tells us that when we harness every child’s potential and put in the resources and hard work, we enrich our human resource base and put him or her on a path to progress and prosperity,” Dr Opoku Prempeh added.
He said the potency of the programme will definitely put pressure on tertiary institutions, and urged them to endeavour to harness the capacities of the “fine young minds.”
Dr Opoku Prempeh who is also the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South said for Universities such as UHAS to become world-class institutions, they must be considered as national assets helping to provide quality workforce.
He entreated tertiary institutions to admit students from all parts of the nation, and that “there should be no discrimination in the recruitment of faculty, students or management”.
Ghana has been leading the WASSCE score for the past six years running, and the 2020 result doubled the previous year’s count of 220 8As.
Nigeria, Ghana’s long contender, claimed the remaining of the 2020 straight As.
