Former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Prof Stephen Adei, says the grading system cannot be blamed for the poor performance recorded in the latest West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

His comments follow the release of the latest WASSCE results, which have renewed concerns about declining academic performance and the number of students struggling to meet the requirements for progression and placement.

Prof Adei said that blaming the grading system would not explain the latest outcome, as the same system has been used in previous years.

“You can’t blame the grading system, though I think that is unnecessarily complicated, but since it has been the same grading system in the previous years, it becomes a common denominator.”

He said the focus should instead be on whether there are problems with the placement system or whether academic standards are deteriorating.

“So that cannot explain why many have failed or cannot be placed. It’s either the system of placement or standards are deteriorating, but even then, we cannot use one year to determine the trend statistically.”

Prof Adei, however, acknowledged that the grading system itself could be simplified.

“Definitely it cannot be the grading system, since the same grading system was used in the previous years.”

He argued that consistency in the grading system makes it difficult to attribute the latest poor results to the system itself.

“Well, the point is that so long as the grading system is consistent, it cannot be blamed.”

Prof Adei said he personally considers the existing grading approach unnecessarily complicated and suggested a simpler system based on straight marking.

“I personally think that the grading system is unnecessarily complicated. They should go for straight marking like the WASSCE and then use it.”

He cautioned, however, against drawing broad conclusions about a deterioration in academic performance from a single year’s results.

“But it remains a point to be made that the deterioration, even though one year cannot be a trend statistically.”