National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Twifo Atti Morkwa, David Vondee, has called for a review of English Language teaching methods following a decline in students’ performance in the 2026 WASSCE.

The pass rate in English Language fell from 69% in 2025 to 62.40% in 2026.

Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on Monday, September 7, Mr Vondee said the decline should prompt a review of how English is taught, particularly at the basic school level.

“It is not just at the secondary schools that the problem starts from,” he said.

He questioned why some private basic schools appear to perform better than government schools, despite the availability of trained teachers in the public system.

Read Also: WAEC blames weak grammar, poor reading culture for decline in 2026 WASSCE English results

“What is it that is happening? Is it the instruction system, the level of teaching, the mechanism, the technology and all that, that’s not working within the government schools and basic schools?”

Mr Vondee said students who lack a strong foundation in English at the basic level would struggle to overcome the weakness at the secondary level.

He therefore called for changes to the way the subject is taught, including the use of technology and approaches that take into account students’ exposure to social media.

“The methodology, the approach, the instructive system, how we teach the English language must change.”

His comments come against the backdrop of a decline in candidates’ performance in English Language in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Mr Vondee said the situation calls for broader action to improve students’ listening, reading and comprehension skills from the basic level.

Mr Vondee said improving performance in English would require a combination of better teaching methods, appropriate use of technology, public education, and efforts to help students use social media without undermining their language development.