The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) is demanding an immediate reversal of the West African Examinations Council’s (WAEC) proposed 24.24% increase in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) registration fee.

Under the new arrangement, the fee would rise from GHC282.35 in 2025 to GHC350.82 in 2026 — a development GNAPS says could jeopardise the educational prospects of many private school candidates.

In a statement released on Thursday, December 11, 2025, GNAPS urged WAEC to suspend the increment and engage in broad stakeholder consultations, including with private school operators, to arrive at a fair and reasonable fee structure.

The Association further appealed to the Ministry of Education and Parliament’s Select Committee on Education to step in to protect economically vulnerable pupils from being priced out of Basic 9 examinations.

“Swift action is essential to maintain the trust and goodwill of parents, private schools, and the broader education community in the government’s commitment to affordable, accessible, and equitable education,” the statement read.

GNAPS argued that the justification offered for past fee hikes — including inflation, currency depreciation, port charges, and fuel costs — is no longer convincing, as economic indicators have recently improved. Inflation, for example, declined from 8% in October 2025 to 6.3% in November, while the Cedi has remained relatively stable. The new increment, GNAPS insisted, is “punitive” and “economically indefensible.”

The Association also criticised WAEC for excluding private education stakeholders from consultations, noting that private school candidates often bear the heaviest burden of rising fees. Such unilateral decisions, it said, undermine transparency and fail to account for the socioeconomic challenges facing families and schools.

GNAPS warned that persistent increases in BECE registration fees over the past five years have already contributed to declining Junior High School completion rates, especially in low-income communities. According to the Association, further hikes risk pushing more parents to pull their children out of school.

Reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the rights of disadvantaged learners, GNAPS said it is ready to engage WAEC, the Ministry of Education, and other partners to ensure the planned fee increase is reversed.