'Establish independent regulator to handle examination result appeals' — Eduwatch to gov't 

The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Kofi Asare, has renewed calls for the government to establish an independent regulator to oversee examination bodies and handle appeals over examination results.

His appeal follows the release of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results and comes amid recurring complaints from some schools, particularly private institutions, over the outcome of the national examination.

According to him, allowing the same institution that conducts examinations to investigate complaints and rules on them raises concerns about accountability, even where there is no evidence of wrongdoing.

"Such complaints have been brought to Eduwatch almost every year since 2019, particularly by private schools. In many countries, those who challenge examination results petition an independent regulator that oversees the examining body," the education advocate said in a social media post on Tuesday, August 4.

He noted that Ghana currently has no independent body to review grievances against the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), leaving the council to examine complaints about its own decisions.

Mr. Asare argued that the arrangement does not align with modern standards of transparency and independent oversight.

He stressed that public confidence in the examination system depends not only on accurate marking but also on a trusted appeals process.

"Since 2019, Eduwatch has consistently urged the Ministry of Education to establish an independent assessment regulator to oversee all examining and assessment bodies, including WAEC. Such a regulator would investigate grievances independently, ensure due process, strengthen public confidence in our examination system," he stated.

He said if establishing a new regulatory body is not feasible, the government should consider amending the Education Regulatory Bodies Law to expand the mandate of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) to perform that role.