Three students who achieved outstanding results in the 2022 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) have been recognized as the top winners of the Waec Distinction Awards in Ghana.
Alex Opoku Manu from St James Seminary Senior High School emerged as the Overall Best Candidate in the country, followed by Benjamin Eyram Nana Kwame Degbey, also from St James Seminary SHS, as the first runner-up.
Abena Afriyie Poku from Holy Child SHS secured the second runner-up position.
The top two candidates, Manu and Degbey, also received the WAEC International Excellence Awards in The Gambia. Each of them obtained eight A1 grades in their respective subjects.
Mubarak Illiasu Danaa from T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS won the award in General Arts, while Ato Kwamena Quansah from Presbyterian Boys' SHS Legon and Ewura Esi Adobea Otieku-Boadu from Wesley Girls High School were recognized for Business and Home Economics, respectively.
The WAEC Distinction Award ceremony honoured a total of 124 candidates who met the criteria for the prestigious accolades out of 422,883 candidates from 977 schools who participated in the WASSCE (SC) in 2022.
During the event, various prizes were presented to the winners. Manu, currently studying Human Biology (Medicine) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), received $1,200 from the Waec Endowment Fund, a GH¢30,000 cheque, and a laptop from Zenith Bank.
His alma mater, St James Seminary, was awarded a plaque and a desktop computer.
Degbey, pursuing Electrical/Electronics Engineering at the Academic City University College in Accra, received $900 from the WAEC Endowment Fund, a GH¢20,000 cheque, and a laptop. St James Seminary also received a plaque and a desktop computer.
Ms Poku, studying Chemical Engineering at the University of Minnesota, was presented with $750 from the WAEC Endowment Fund, a GH¢15,000 cash prize, and a laptop. Similarly, award winners in each program were given GH¢10,000, a certificate, a plaque for their schools, and an additional $400.
During the ceremony, the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, called on WAEC to review the assessment regime in the country to ensure the quality of education. He stressed the importance of cultivating critical thinking skills among students and emphasized the need to eliminate examination malpractice.
Dr Eric Nkansah, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, commended WAEC for establishing the awards to celebrate academic excellence.
