Private Schools Suspend 2025 BECE Registration as GNACOPS Protests 312% Fee Hike by WAEC

In an unprecedented action, the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has ordered all private schools to suspend their participation in the 2025 BECE registration process, citing what it describes as arbitrary and economically harsh increases in registration fees.

The directive, issued in a strongly worded communiqué signed by Executive Director Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah, reflects growing frustration among private schools over what they consider “unilateral, unjustified, and economically insensitive” fee hikes by WAEC.

GNACOPS outlined a steep pattern of increases over the past five years:

• 2021 – GHS 85.00

• 2022 – GHS 104.80 (23.29% increase)

• 2023 – GHS 170.01 (62.55% increase)

• 2024 – GHS 282.35 (66.08% increase)

• 2025 – GHS 350.82 (24.24% increase)

According to the Council, these figures reflect a cumulative rise of 312%, with the dramatic 66% jump from 2023 to 2024 singled out as particularly unreasonable and burdensome for parents and private school operators already struggling with rising operational costs.

A major point of contention is the widespread belief that private schools may be indirectly subsidising public school candidates, who do not pay BECE registration fees. While stopping short of a direct accusation, GNACOPS argued that WAEC’s unwillingness to engage stakeholders or reveal its cost breakdown “deepens this perception” and undermines trust in the examination system.

The communiqué accused WAEC of operating with “opacity, lack of accountability, and unilateral decision-making,” adding that such practices can no longer be tolerated.

Effective immediately, private schools have been directed to halt:

• Submission of candidate data

• Payment of registration fees

• Attendance at WAEC meetings or briefings

• Engagement with WAEC officials on BECE issues

• Any administrative or operational activity relating to the 2025 BECE

GNACOPS said the suspension is necessary to demand transparency, protect parents from escalating exam costs, and restore fairness in the national assessment process.

The Council set out strict conditions WAEC must meet before registration can resume:

1. A transparent explanation for the 2025 fee structure

2. Comprehensive stakeholder engagement, with GNACOPS included

3. A reasonable and economically fair fee regime

4. Clear disclosure on whether private school fees subsidise public candidates

5. A permanent mechanism to prevent future unilateral fee decisions

Until these conditions are met, GNACOPS insists the suspension will remain in force.

The Council reaffirmed its commitment to affordability and fairness in education, warning that it will resist any policy that threatens access or imposes undue financial pressure on families.

All private schools under GNACOPS have been instructed to comply fully, with more updates expected as the standoff develops. The directive, if not resolved soon, could significantly disrupt the 2025 BECE registration process.

Source: 3news