Assessing the disparity in academic performance of pupils in the basic education certificate examination (bece) in public and private schools in the atimatim circuit, Afigya Kwabre district in the Ashnati region, Ghana

Abstract

In recent years, the educational achievement of students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) has received special attention in Ghana's educational system. This study investigated the performance of students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in public and private schools in Atimatim circuit, Afigya-Kwabre during the 2017 - 2019 academic years. The study employed descriptive and case study designs which seeks to observe, describe, and draw conclusions. A total of 60 respondents participated in the study including 10 head teachers and 50 teachers from ten schools (five public and five private). The findings revealed that private schools in the Atimatim circuit out performed public schools in terms of academic achievement. There was a strong correlation between school facilities and student academic success. Although the BECE results showed a substantial gap in academic performance between public and private basic schools, there were some internal and external factors that contributed to differences in educational attainment between public and private basic schools in the Atimatim Circuit. The study recommended that government should provide educational institutions with the necessary educating and learning resources in order to promote the learning process. Also, G.E.S. strategy of mass promotion of students from one grade to the next should be abolished, and success should only be used to encourage pupils. The study suggested further studies to be conducted in metropolitan regions in the country as well as using a large sample size for better understanding of the phenomenon.