President Mahama Attributes Poor WASSCE Results to Neglect of Basic Education
President John Dramani Mahama at the Ghana-Made STEM Box Initiative
Accra, Ghana - President John Dramani Mahama has attributed the recent poor performance of Ghanaian students in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to what he described as years of systemic neglect of the country’s basic education system.
Speaking at the launch of the Ghana-Made STEM Box Initiative in Accra, President Mahama said the nation’s inability to sustain funding and teacher quality at the foundational level has weakened learning outcomes and left students ill-prepared for higher education. “The neglect of basic education, inability to send the capitation grants, ensuring that we have quality teachers at the foundational level,” President Mahama said, “means once you don’t get that level right, you will just send the child through quality control and say that this one did not do well. If we’re able to get that, then they have the foundation to continue in the factory that is just pushing them through.”
The President likened Ghana’s education system to a “factory” that mechanically passes students through without ensuring competence. He revealed that he had directed the Minister of Education and the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to review the latest WASSCE examiners’ report and propose urgent reforms to improve quality. “Vigilance is not going to go away. Strict invigilation is not going to go away,” President Mahama added. “We must make sure that the children are well prepared to, on their own, be able to pass.
President Mahama emphasized that the global shift toward Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education demands that Ghana invest early in practical science learning to remain competitive. “In this new world, STEM is not optional. It is the foundation upon which resilient economies, innovative industries, and forward-looking societies are built,” he said.
The STEM Box Initiative, developed locally by innovators from DEXT Technology, introduces hands-on learning kits for primary classes four, five, and six. Each box provides pupils with practical tools to experiment with circuits, build simple machines, and explore energy, motion, and digestion through guided projects.
“These STEM boxes do precisely that they move learning from theory to practice, from chalkboard to creativity, and from memorization to innovation,” the President said.
President Mahama also disclosed that 500 of the Ghana-made STEM boxes had already been ordered for schools in the United Kingdom, a move he described as a testament to Ghanaian innovation and craftsmanship.
The President said the initiative is part of a broader plan to nurture creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving skills among young Ghanaians while strengthening local industry and domestic manufacturing.
“Let our schools become spaces where curiosity is celebrated, where learning is joyful, and where every child believes they can become a creator of tomorrow’s solutions,” he urged. “We are igniting curiosity, nurturing creativity, and laying the foundations for a generation that will lead Ghana into a new era.”
He concluded by commending Ghanaian teachers, innovators, and technical teams for demonstrating that local collaboration can drive national progress.
“When Ghanaians work together, we can come up with solutions of the future," President Mahama said.
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