How to Improve School Performance in Ghana

Improving school performance is not about studying longer. It is about studying in the right places. This guide gives students and parents in Ghana practical steps to identify weak areas, build better study habits, and use continuous assessment and exam preparation to raise results. Whether your child is in JHS or SHS, in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Cape Coast, or any part of the country, the same principles apply.

Know Where You Stand

You cannot improve what you do not measure. The first step is an honest assessment of current performance. Which subjects are strong? Which are weak? Within weak subjects, which topics cause the most difficulty? School reports and continuous assessment scores give part of the picture. Diagnostic tests or past papers marked honestly give another. Tools like Olearna analyse response patterns and pinpoint specific gaps. Once you know where the problems are, you can direct your effort there. Students in East Legon, Tema, Takoradi, and across Ghana who start with a clear diagnosis improve faster than those who study blindly.

Focus on Weak Areas First

It is tempting to spend time on subjects you enjoy. Improvement comes from strengthening weak areas. Allocate more study time to the subjects and topics where you score lowest. If Mathematics is the problem, Mathematics should get more slots in your timetable. If it is a specific topic within a subject, focus there. Generic revision across everything is less effective than targeted work on gaps. For help building a timetable that reflects this, see our study timetable for BECE and study timetable for WASSCE.

Take Continuous Assessment Seriously

In Ghana, continuous assessment contributes to your final BECE and WASSCE grades. Class tests, assignments, projects, and internal exams all count. So improving school performance means performing well throughout the year, not only in the final exam. Take every assessment seriously. If you see your CA scores dropping in a subject, that is an early warning. Address the topic or get help before the gap grows. For more on how CA works, read continuous assessment in Ghana.

Build Consistent Study Habits

Consistency beats cramming. A regular study time and place help the brain get into a routine. Short, focused sessions with breaks are more effective than long exhausted sessions. Use active methods: practice questions, explaining concepts to someone else, and testing yourself. Passive reading is the least effective way to retain information. Whether you are in Kumasi, Cape Coast, Ho, or Sunyani, the same habits work.

Use the Syllabus and Past Questions

For BECE and WASSCE, the official syllabus is your roadmap. Every exam question is drawn from it. Align your revision to the syllabus so you are not wasting time on out-of-scope material. Past questions show you the format and style of questions. Practise under timed conditions so you build speed and familiarity. For exam-specific strategies, see our how to pass BECE and how to pass WASSCE guides.

How Parents Can Support Improvement

Parents do not need to be teachers. Create a quiet, consistent study environment. Monitor progress through school reports and any diagnostic or readiness tools. Encourage without piling on pressure. When you have a clear picture of weak areas, you can support targeted revision and sensible use of extra classes or tutoring. Our parent guide to BECE success and parent guide to WASSCE success have detailed steps for families across Ghana.

Work with the School

Teachers see your child's performance in class and in tests. Ask which subjects and topics need attention. Share any diagnostic or readiness information you have so the school can support targeted improvement. When parents and schools work from the same picture, the student benefits most.

Extra Classes and Tutoring

Extra classes help when they target actual weak areas. Before enrolling, ask what will be covered. Generic revision is less effective than focus on specific topics where the student is struggling. Use school and diagnostic feedback to decide where extra help is needed. Families in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, and across Ghana see the best results when extra support is aligned to identified gaps.

Monitor Progress Over Time

Improvement is not always linear. Track performance through CA scores, mock results, and any diagnostic or readiness reports. If progress stalls, adjust the plan. Maybe a different topic needs attention, or study methods need to change. Tools that give a weekly or periodic readiness signal help you see trends and act in time.

What to Avoid

Do not study without a plan. Do not ignore weak subjects because they are hard. Do not rely only on passive reading. Do not neglect continuous assessment. Do not sacrifice sleep and health for extra hours. And do not assume that more hours always mean better performance; targeted, focused study usually beats long unfocused sessions.