The YAFO Institute has raised concerns over Ghana’s worsening education outcomes, warning that the failure of over 220,000 students in the 2025 WASSCE could drive many into illegal mining activities, worsening environmental degradation and unemployment rates. This development, the think tank argues, is a direct consequence of the challenges undermining the Free SHS Policy’s effectiveness.
According to the Institute, only 48.73% of candidates passed Core Mathematics, while Social Studies recorded a 55.82% pass rate—figures that reflect hundreds of thousands of students falling short of tertiary admission requirements. This marks the lowest WASSCE performance in four years and calls into question the quality outcomes of the Free SHS initiative.
YAFO’s peer-reviewed study, “Counting the Costs: The Unintended Consequences of Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy on Household Poverty,” highlights key structural issues degrading education quality, including overcrowded classrooms from increased enrollment, insufficient infrastructure and teaching materials, reduced contact hours under the double-track system, poor student nutrition, and added financial burdens on families.
To address these challenges, YAFO recommends a comprehensive review of the Free SHS Policy emphasizing quality over mere access, greater involvement of private schools, a nationwide audit of SHS infrastructure and resources, reinstatement of frequent end-of-term exams with timely reporting, abolition of the double-track system, and standardization of schools to ensure equitable resource distribution. The Institute also calls for stronger monitoring and evaluation frameworks and a review of the school list to optimize cost efficiency and reduce expenses for parents.
Nathaniel Dwamena, President of YAFO Institute, warned, “Ghana must not accept the poor performance in the 2025 WASSCE results as normal. The results show that the Free SHS Policy reform is no longer optional—it is urgent. Students who are unable to progress risk feeding the galamsey workforce.”
While acknowledging the Free SHS policy’s role as an important social intervention, the Institute cautions that without addressing its implementation challenges, the programme risks expanding access to education at the expense of meaningful learning outcomes.