By Frank Kwame Abbor
Adaklu (V/R), Sept. 17, GNA –The Gbekor Senior High School in the Volta Region has emerged as top-ranked school in the 2025 National School Rankings released by the West African Examinations Council’s School Tracking Programme (WAEC STP).
The school, with a completion rate of 99.8 per cent and a mean mark of 72 per cent, was placed in the Elite Performers Category, leading 67 other senior high schools in the region.
Closely following Gbekor SHS was St. Paul’s Senior High School, also in the Volta Region, which recorded a 99.8 per cent completion rate but a mean mark of 59.3 per cent.
Agotime SHS and Dzodze Penyi SHS were also ranked among the top five elite performers in the region.
Mr. Louis Anthonio, Headmaster of Gbekor SHS, attributed the success to discipline, dedication and hard work by both staff and students.
“This achievement proves that consistency, focus and teamwork can yield excellence even for schools that are not considered among the so-called big names. It is a proud moment for us,” he stated.
The rankings placed schools into five categories — Elite Performers, High Performers, Good Progress, Developing, and Needs Support — based on completion rates, mean scores, and overall performance trends.
While several Volta schools performed strongly, the report highlighted that some well-known institutions such as Mawuli School, Bishop Herman College, OLA Girls’ SHS, and Kpando SHS were listed in the Needs Support Category, raising concerns about the state of traditional “big schools.”
The WAEC explained that the rankings are not meant to shame schools but to provide an evidence-based framework for improvement and resource allocation. Schools in the lower categories are expected to receive external support and interventions to address identified gaps.
Education stakeholders welcomed the release of the data, describing it as an important tool for monitoring quality and ensuring fairness in resource distribution across schools.
“The rankings make it clear where attention must be directed. Excellence is no longer limited to a few institutions,” an official from the Volta Regional Education Directorate told GNA.
The report also showed promising performance from community-based schools such as Afadjato SHS/Technical, Dorfor SHS and Ave SHS, which scored high in mean marks and completion rates.
The Ministry of Education has given assurance that interventions including teacher training, infrastructure support and monitoring programmes will be prioritised for schools ranked under “Needs Support” to bridge the performance gap.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Benjamin Mensah