Private Schools Must Adopt New GES Curriculum to Boost BECE Performance, Says Education Expert

Private schools across Ghana must prioritise the adoption of the new Ghana Education Service (GES) curriculum and significantly improve teacher quality to narrow the performance gap with public schools in national examinations, according to Bernard Hall-Baidoo, former Headmaster of Kumasi High School.

Speaking in a recent interview, Hall-Baidoo emphasised that effective curriculum implementation is essential for private schools seeking to improve Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results and compete more fairly with their public school counterparts. He pointed out that teacher quality remains the cornerstone of academic success, arguing that private schools must hire competent educators and create pathways for continuous professional development.

"Private schools must employ more quality teachers who are ready to equip themselves with knowledge and keep abreast of the new curriculum," Hall-Baidoo stated, warning that reliance on traditional teaching methods alone is insufficient for meeting modern educational demands.

The Teacher Quality Challenge

According to Hall-Baidoo, the difference in WAEC examination performance between public and private schools often stems not from external assessment issues but from variations in teacher competence and classroom instruction quality. He stressed that educators must move beyond rote teaching approaches and develop a thorough understanding of how the new curriculum translates into effective classroom practice.

"When teachers understand the curriculum and are properly equipped to teach it, the students will benefit, and that will ultimately reflect in their performance in external examinations," he explained.

The education expert cautioned that without addressing these internal capacity gaps, private schools risk falling further behind public institutions, which generally employ teachers with stronger qualifications and access to ongoing training.

Context: The BECE Controversy and What It Means for Ghana's Education System

Hall-Baidoo's remarks come at a critical moment for Ghana's private education sector. The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) recently raised serious concerns about the 2026 BECE results, alleging grading discrepancies by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and calling for an audit of provisional results. GNAPS contended that several candidates' results failed to match their expected academic performance levels.

However, WAEC has firmly rejected these allegations, asserting that all candidates—regardless of school type—are assessed under identical standards as a single cohort. The council's position suggests that performance differences may reflect genuine variations in teaching quality and preparation rather than systemic bias in grading.

This dispute highlights a broader structural issue within Ghana's education landscape: the widening competitiveness gap between well-resourced public and private institutions. For Ghanaian families considering private school enrolment, the debate underscores the importance of school selection based not only on reputation but on verifiable teacher credentials and curriculum implementation practices.

Hall-Baidoo's advice to private schools—to focus on strengthening internal systems rather than solely challenging external assessments—offers a pragmatic pathway forward. He argues that private schools must invest in classroom-level improvements, ensuring both teachers and students are adequately prepared for national examinations.

"Rather than concentrating only on the grading system, private schools must look at what happens in the classroom and ensure that the teachers and students are adequately prepared," he advised.

For Ghana's education sector, the message is clear: sustainable improvement in student outcomes requires sustained investment in educator capacity, curriculum alignment, and teaching quality across all school types.