2020 WASSCE: When you politicise everything, it’ll blow up in your face – Dr. Adutwum

Deputy Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has warned against the over politicisation of government policies, particularly in the education sector.

According to him, the rush to politicise education and other related fields in the country will blow up in the faces of opposers, as seen recently after the release of the 2020 WASSCE results.

Speaking on Citi Breakfast show on November 24, 2020, on the back of the 2020 WASSCE result, Dr. Adutwum noted that the result of this year’s batch of students has vindicated the Akufo-Addo-led government.

He said the overwhelming improvement in the performance of students is an indication that the Free SHS policy which was implemented by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in September 2017 reaped good results.

“What people are looking for is that, regarding WASSCE results, has something good happened, was there a positive outcome, do you maintain it or do you do something radically different? So, you vote to protect what is there currently. They will vote for Akufo-Addo to protect the Free SHS policy,” he said.

Adding that “Because of our rush to politicise education. When you say that the double-track is such a terrible thing and will destroy the education system, and all of a sudden, the students write the WASSCE and the scenario is totally different, then you wonder how something you termed as bad produces positive results? When you are not careful and you politicise everything, it will blow up in your face.”

A WAEC report which analysed the WASSCE results this year revealed that the average performance of candidates was the best when compared with the result over the past six years.

According to the report, performances in Maths and English were the highest, with a record of 65.71% and 57.34 %, respectively. While Social Studies and Integrated Science recorded 64.31% and 52.53 %, respectively.

Further details also point to the fact that about 60 % of the 342,500 candidates who wrote the WASSCE, representing over 200,000, scored between A1 and C6 in their best six subjects, including English and Mathematics, which qualify them for tertiary education.

Meanwhile, the results of 2,383 candidates have been canceled by the examination body for engaging in alleged examination malpractices.