A recent report from the Legon Centre for Education Research and Policy (LECERP) has sounded the alarm regarding what it terms a “silent crisis” in Ghana’s education system, where thousands of students are registering for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) yet failing to attend.
The research brief, entitled “Registered but Missing: The Silent Crisis of WASSCE Absenteeism in Ghana,” points to a rising trend in absenteeism from the 2020/21 to the 2024/25 academic years, which carries significant financial and social repercussions for the nation.
The report indicates that a total of 20,197 students who registered for the WASSCE during this five-year span did not participate in the examination.
Researchers Dr. Martin Wiredu Agyekum and Dr. Innocent Sefadzi Komla Agbelie caution that this persistent increase reflects deeper systemic issues that could jeopardize the progress achieved in access to secondary education.
In addition to the human toll, the report highlights a substantial financial burden on the state.
The government expenditure per student, which includes tuition, feeding, and examination registration, averages GH₵3,441 throughout the three-year senior high school period.
Based on this figure, LECERP estimates that Ghana incurred a loss of approximately GH₵69.5 million in public funds between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 academic years due to students who registered but did not take the exams.
The most significant annual loss was recorded in the 2024/25 academic year alone, exceeding GH₵20 million.
Among other recommendations, the report suggests that the “Ministry of Education should establish a pre-examination risk-tracking mechanism within EMIS, which would require schools to identify and report students at risk of absenteeism (for instance, due to pregnancy, distance, climate, or conflict exposure). This would facilitate timely and targeted interventions at both district and regional levels.”
