The Universal Friendship Organisation (UFO), has appealed to the government to take urgent steps to support students sitting for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in conflict-prone areas of the country.
According to the group, students in Bawku, Zuarungu, Nkwanta South, and Nalerigu in the North East Region, where tensions persist, urgently require government intervention as they sit for the exams that officially begin on August 5 and end on September 19, 2025.
A total of 461,640 final-year senior high school (SHS) students across the country will take part in this year’s WASSCE.
In a statement dated Monday, August 4, 2025, the UFO, urge the government, through the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education, to take immediate action to support students in areas affected by tension.
The organisation outlined three major recommendations to aid students in these regions which includes counselling services, provision of secure and suitable accommodation for candidates, and security secures to maintain a peaceful and supportive atmosphere.
“We urge the government to deploy those who provide counselling services for all students in various schools to communicate with students in affected areas to help them cope with the trauma and stress caused by the tensions.
“We also recommend that the government provides safe and good accommodation for all students writing exams in these areas, in order to ensuring that they have a conducive environment to study and prepare for their exams.
“We call on the security agencies that may deploy to examination centers to create a friendly and peaceful environment that will enable students to focus on their studies and sit for their exams without undue stress or distraction,” the group suggested.
The group emphasized that such measures were vital to ensuring the academic success and mental well-being of students caught in areas of unrest.
“By providing counselling services, safe accommodation, and a peaceful environment, the government can help mitigate the impact of the tensions on students’ mental health and academic performance.”
The group also extended its best wishes to all students the very best of luck in their exams.
