The Ghana Education Service (GES) has insisted that final-year Senior High School (SHS) students in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region will participate in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) despite chaos in the area.

Speaking to the media on Monday, June 30, the Head of Public Relations at GES, Daniel Fenyi, indicated that the Service is in discussions with stakeholders to ensure candidates are not affected regardless of the risk.

"Three Senior High Schools (SHS) will be writing the WASSCE, but definitely, if the conflict persists, that means they wouldn't be able to write in Nkwanta township. So meetings are ongoing, and we hope to finalize our discussions as soon as possible to come out with the modalities on when, how, and where our children can write the WASSCE."

According to him, one of the measures is to ensure students write the exams in the safest environment possible.

"But the assurance they can get from us is that they won't miss the WASSCE. We are putting in place every measure to ensure they write the WASSCE with their colleagues."

“The assurance they can get from us as the Ghana Education Service is that they won’t miss the WASSCE. We are putting in place every measure to ensure that they write the WASSCE with their colleagues all across the country, and we are making sure that the conflict goes beyond them so they can’t be punished for what they didn’t cause. So I can assure them that they will not miss this examination,” he said.

The 2025 WASSCE is scheduled to take place from August 4 to September 19.

Nkwanta and its surrounding towns have experienced protracted conflict involving the Akyode, Adele and Chala.

The conflict has escalated in recent years, resulting in the loss of lives and the destruction of property. A curfew was placed on the area by the government.

The violent incidents that were recorded on June 26 and 27 affected three students.

Two female students of Nkwanta Senior High School (SHS) were recently hit by gunshots while en route to school.

A male student was also killed by a stray bullet while seated in his classroom during mock examinations.

SHS schools in Nkwanta South have been shut down until further notice.

In response, the police service has captured some eight individuals for their roles in recent clashes in Nkwanta that have taken the lives of students.

Currently, there is a total ban on all persons in the Nkwanta Township and its environs in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region from carrying arms, ammunition, or any offensive weapons.

Any person found with any arms or ammunition will be arrested and prosecuted.

The government continues to urge chiefs, opinion leaders, youth, and people of the area to exercise restraint in the face of the challenges confronting them and to use non-violent means to channel their energies into ensuring peace in the area.