NUGS demands release of over 223,612 withheld WASSCE results

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has given the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) a one-week ultimatum to release all withheld 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results or face widespread protests across the country.
The student body is also calling for the immediate removal of the head of WAEC Ghana, citing allegations of unfair treatment of candidates accused of examination malpractice.

Over 220,000 candidates affected
WAEC’s decision to withhold results has impacted 223,612 candidates across four core subjects.
This situation has created immense uncertainty for students seeking tertiary education, as they are unable to proceed with their university applications without their full results.
NUGS has raised concerns about WAEC’s lack of transparency and failure to provide affected students with a fair hearing before withholding or canceling their results.

Concerns over university admissions
One of the union’s major grievances is WAEC’s delay in releasing the results until after university admission deadlines.
NUGS argues that this has unfairly prevented students from securing placements in public universities, thereby jeopardizing their academic futures.
“The timing of WAEC’s actions suggests deliberate attempts to frustrate students who worked hard to earn their results. We cannot allow this injustice to continue,” NUGS stated.

Call for reforms in WAEC’s sanctions process
NUGS also criticized WAEC’s longstanding policy of canceling entire results for students found guilty of malpractice in a single subject.
The union argues that only the affected paper should be annulled, not the entire examination result.
Additionally, the lack of a proper appeal mechanism for students to challenge WAEC’s decisions has been highlighted as a major flaw in the examination body’s procedures.

NUGS accuses WAEC of ignoring student concerns
According to the student union, their concerns were formally communicated to WAEC in a letter dated January 2, 2025. However, WAEC has yet to respond positively or take steps to address the issue.
Speaking at a media briefing, NUGS President Daniel Korley emphasized the need for urgent reforms and warned of large-scale demonstrations should WAEC fail to act.

NUGS President issues warning
“Education is a fundamental right, and WAEC must uphold justice, transparency, and accountability.
The credibility of WAEC is at stake if students and the general public lose confidence in its fairness.
“We demand immediate reforms to address these injustices. If WAEC fails to act, NUGS will escalate this matter through legal and advocacy channels, including seeking judicial intervention.
“We urge all students to remain calm but resolute in demanding their rights. NUGS stands with every student affected by WAEC’s actions, and we will not rest until justice is served,” Mr. Korley stated.

Next steps
As the deadline approaches, all eyes are on WAEC to see if the examination body will respond to NUGS’ demands or risk nationwide protests that could disrupt academic activities across Ghana.
The student union remains firm in its stance, vowing to use every legal and advocacy tool available to ensure justice for the affected candidates.

460,611 candidates
A total of 460,611 candidates registered for the examinations, but 4,606 students were absent, and the results of 483 candidates were canceled due to examination malpractices.
This brings the total number of officially released results to 455,522.

English Language-46,113 results withheld
For the English Language, WAEC released 409,409 results, broken down as follows:

Grades A1-C6: 317,701 students (69.52%)
Grade D7: 39,542 students (8.65%)
Grade E8: 25,294 students (5.53%)
Grade F9: 26,872 students (5.88%)
This leaves 46,113 results for the English Language withheld, a significant number affecting students’ ability to meet requirements for higher education.

Mathematics-76,521 results withheld
In Mathematics, a total of 379,001 results were released. The breakdown is as follows:

Grades A1-C6: 305,132 students (66.86%)
Grade D7: 24,656 students (5.4%)
Grade E8: 21,397 students (4.69%)
Grade F9: 27,816 students (6.1%)
This indicates that 76,521 Mathematics results are still pending release.

Integrated Science-85,815 results withheld
Integrated Science saw a total of 369,707 results released, categorized as follows:

Grades A1-C6: 268,072 students (58.77%)
Grade D7: 39,640 students (8.69%)
Grade E8: 29,506 students (6.47%)
Grade F9: 32,489 students (7.12%)
The withheld results in Integrated Science amount to 85,815, leaving a significant number of students in uncertainty.

Social Studies -15,163 results withheld
In Social Studies, WAEC released 440,359 results, with the following breakdown:

Grades A1-C6: 326,253 students (71.53%)
Grade D7: 41,174 students (9.03%)
Grade E8: 29,362 students (6.44%)
Grade F9: 43,570 students (9.55%)
This leaves 15,163 Social Studies results still withheld.

Implications for affected students
The withholding of these results has far-reaching consequences for the affected students, particularly those hoping to meet entry requirements for tertiary institutions.
With over 223,000 results pending release, concerns have been raised about WAEC’s processes and the impact on students’ academic and professional aspirations.