Private Schools Accuse WAEC of ‘Unfair Marking’, Demand Independent Review of 2026 BECE Results after the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) alleged that candidates from private basic schools were unfairly assessed in the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The council, led by Executive Director Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah, is calling on the Ministry of Education to establish an independent committee to review the marking process, insisting that the results released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) do not accurately reflect the academic performance of thousands of private school candidates. The demand was made on Tuesday, August 4, during an interview on GTV, where GNACOPS said it had already petitioned the Minister of Education and was preparing to present evidence before Parliament’s Education Committee.
According to GNACOPS, the council has gathered what it describes as credible evidence showing that grades awarded to many private school candidates are inconsistent with their continuous assessment records, terminal examinations and overall academic performance over the years. The organisation argued that the discrepancies are too widespread to be dismissed as isolated incidents and warrant an independent investigation into WAEC’s marking procedures.
Speaking during the interview, Mr Gyetuah said more than 14,000 private schools had responded to a nationwide call for feedback since last weekend, with many reporting concerns over the performance of their candidates in the released results. He maintained that private schools submitted continuous assessment records through the Ghana Education Service and therefore possess sufficient data to question whether the grades awarded genuinely reflect students’ abilities.
“We know exactly what we are saying because we have the data to prove that the grades issued do not correspond with the academic performance of these learners,” he stated.
GNACOPS is requesting that the Ministry of Education constitute an independent review committee to reassess WAEC’s marking process and determine whether the final grades accurately represent candidates’ performance. The council also wants WAEC to release candidates’ examination scripts for independent scrutiny, arguing that greater transparency is necessary to restore public confidence in Ghana’s examination system.
The organisation further contends that allowing an independent body to review selected scripts would help determine whether the marking process was conducted fairly and consistently across both public and private schools. According to the council, such a review should be completed before any action that could adversely affect students’ placement into senior high schools.
Mr Gyetuah said the objective is not to undermine WAEC but to ensure accountability and fairness in an examination that determines the academic future of thousands of candidates every year.
“Our main argument is that, in order not to disrupt the academic career of these learners, the ministry should establish an independent review committee to examine the work done by WAEC,” he said, adding that the examination body should not remain “a master and a servant to itself.
Responding to the allegations, Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu urged GNACOPS to submit credible evidence to support its claims. He stressed that the conduct and marking of national examinations fall under the mandate of WAEC and that any allegations of irregularities must be supported by verifiable facts before further action can be taken.
“I understand that the private schools are unhappy. They should reach out to me with legitimate evidence of any underhandedness that undermined the integrity of the examinations,” the Minister said on GTV’s Breakfast Show. He maintained that, in the absence of evidence of malpractice or irregularities, the released results should be regarded as the outcome of a properly conducted examination. �
Graphic Online
The controversy follows WAEC’s release of the provisional 2026 BECE results, which covered 620,243 candidates from 20,789 schools across Ghana. The examination body also announced that the subject results of thousands of candidates from hundreds of schools had been withheld pending investigations into suspected examination malpractice, while the results of some candidates were cancelled over confirmed offences.
Education stakeholders say the dispute has raised broader questions about transparency, accountability and confidence in Ghana’s public examination system. With senior high school placement expected to commence soon, parents, candidates and school authorities are anxiously awaiting the government’s next steps and whether an independent review of the disputed results will be authorised.
Should the Ministry approve GNACOPS’ request, it would mark one of the most significant independent reviews of BECE marking procedures in recent years and could influence future reforms in the administration of national examinations. Until then, attention remains on WAEC and the Ministry of Education as both institutions face increasing pressure to reassure the public that the integrity of Ghana’s examination system remains intact.
SEIDU HUBEIDATU