Private schools demands review of 2026 BECE results over ‘unfair’ marking claims
The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has urged the Ministry of Education to set up an independent review committee to investigate the marking of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The council claims candidates from private schools were unfairly assessed compared with students from public schools.
Speaking on GTV on Tuesday, August 4, GNACOPS Executive Director Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah said the organisation had gathered credible evidence suggesting that the grades awarded to several private school candidates did not accurately reflect their academic performance or continuous assessment records.
He said more than 14,000 private schools had raised concerns following a nationwide request for feedback. According to him, GNACOPS plans to submit a petition to the Education Minister together with affected students and their parents.
Mr Gyetuah said private schools had submitted continuous assessment records for the affected students through the Ghana Education Service, and therefore believed they were in a position to identify inconsistencies between students’ long-term academic performance and their BECE results.
He said GNACOPS had data showing that the grades awarded to some candidates were inconsistent with their performance over the years.
The council’s main demand, he explained, is for the Education Ministry to establish an independent committee to review the work of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and determine whether the results accurately represent the candidates’ performance.
GNACOPS has also asked WAEC to release examination scripts for independent assessment, arguing that greater transparency and accountability are necessary to restore confidence in the examination process.
Mr Gyetuah said the council had formally submitted a petition after more than 14,000 private schools responded to its call for concerns about the results.
He added that GNACOPS had been invited to appear before Parliament’s Education Committee to present its evidence. The council has also instructed member schools to provide counselling support to students affected by the disputed results while efforts are made to resolve the matter.
In response, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu urged GNACOPS to present credible evidence of any irregularities that may have compromised the integrity of the examination.
Speaking on GTV’s Breakfast Show on Tuesday, Mr Iddrisu stressed that WAEC, rather than the Ministry of Education, is responsible for conducting the BECE.
He acknowledged the concerns raised by private schools but urged them to submit concrete evidence of any alleged wrongdoing that may have affected the credibility of the examination.
The minister maintained that, in the absence of evidence of malpractice, the results should be regarded as reflecting an examination properly conducted by WAEC.
Source: Graphiconline.com
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