Primary and secondary education

In Ghana, primary education lasts 6 years and is intended for pupils aged 6 to 12.

Secondary education lasts 6 years and consists of 2 phases:

• lower secondary education (junior secondary), concluded with exams for a Basic Education Certificate;
• upper secondary education (senior secondary), concluded with exams for a West African Senior School Certificate.

This is the lower secondary education diploma. Students take their final exam via the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) of Ghana. The final exam is called: Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). This completes their compulsory education. In Ghana, the pre-primary education year, primary education and lower secondary education together are called ‘basic education’.

• Duration i : 3 years.
• Content: 9 exam subjects. There are 7 compulsory exam subjects:
  • English language;
  • Ghanaian language and culture (often indicated as ‘GA’ on the transcript);
  • mathematics;
  • social studies;
  • Information and Communications Technology (ICT);
  • integrated science (a combination of biology, chemistry and physics);
  • religious and moral education.
    In addition, students choose 2 exam subjects:
  • a vocational subject (Basic Design and Technology), such as home economics (B.D.T./home econs) and
  • French.
    On the WAEC website, you can find more information about the BECE exam subjects.
• Admission requirements: must have concluded primary education.
• Function of the diploma: access to upper secondary education and secondary vocational education.
• Diploma: Basic Education Certificate from the WAEC.

This is the upper secondary education diploma. Students take their final exam via the WAEC, just like in lower secondary education. The final exam is called: West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

• Duration: 3 years.
• Content: 7 or 8 exam subjects. There are 4 compulsory exam subjects:
  • English language;
  • integrated science (a combination of biology, chemistry and physics);
  • mathematics; and
  • social studies.
    In addition, students take exams in 3 or 4 electives. These electives fall within one of the following disciplines:
  • business;
  • general agriculture;
  • general (general education subjects);
  • technical;
  • vocational (home economics or visual arts).
    On the WAEC website, you can find more information about the WASSCE subjects.
• Admission requirements: a Basic Education Certificate.
• Function of the diploma: access to higher education. Access to secondary vocational education is also possible.
• Diploma: a West African Senior School Certificate from the WAEC.