Ghana has begun the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) with a nationwide turnout of over 461,000 candidates, signalling another critical milestone in the country’s pursuit of educational excellence and gender parity.
In the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region, candidates filed into designated centres—Hohoe E.P. Senior High School (HEPSS), St. Agatha SHS, Alavanyo Sec. Tech, Afadzato Sec. Tech, and Santa Esther Girls SHS—to commence the examinations, starting with Visual Arts practicals.
At the HEPSS centre alone, 127 students—84 males and 43 females—were observed sitting for the practical session. In total, 986 students from the school are registered to write the exam over the coming weeks.
Nationally, the Acting Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Ernest Kofi Davies, disclosed that 461,640 final-year Senior High School students are taking part in this year’s WASSCE—207,381 males and 254,259 females.
This reflects a noteworthy gender development, with female candidates outnumbering males by nearly 47,000, and contributing to a marginal national increase of 1,029 candidates compared to the 2024 examination.
Education officials view this year’s figures as not only a testament to increased school enrolment under national reforms but also a significant marker of progress toward gender inclusivity in Ghana’s secondary education system.
As the exams continue across all regions, educational stakeholders are urging students to maintain discipline, focus, and integrity to ensure the credibility of the WASSCE remains intact.
