Professor Smile Dzisi, Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), has called on educational accountants and bursars in the Volta Region to strengthen financial accountability and ensure that school resources are strategically deployed to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

She said sound financial management was critical to reversing the declining academic performance of schools in the region, stressing that the poor results recorded in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) reflected not only academic challenges but also financial and administrative weaknesses.

Prof. Dzisi made the call when she addressed accountants and bursars of Senior High Schools at a capacity-building workshop organised by the Association of Educational Accountants (AEA), Volta Region, under the theme: “Strengthening Financial Governance in Education Through IPSAS Adoption”.

She noted that 18 schools recorded zero percent progression rates in the 2025 WASSCE while nine schools recorded only one percent with more than 27 schools recording progression rates below 12 percent.

According to her, the figures were more than mere statistics as they reflected the educational outcomes and future prospects of thousands of young people in the Volta Region.

Prof. Dzisi said accountants and bursars should not see themselves merely as bookkeepers but as custodians of public resources and strategic partners in the delivery of quality education.

She urged them to ensure that all school funds were properly receipted, recorded and accounted for while warning against financial malpractices such as ghost names on feeding lists, inflated procurement costs and unbanked collections.

She further called for financial planning to be directly aligned with the academic priorities of schools, particularly in areas where students performed poorly.

“You must always work in partnership with your heads in your various schools. 

Be united, share ideas and ensure that, you support each other" she said. 

Prof. Dzisi urged school authorities to channel resources towards Mathematics and Integrated Science, teaching and learning materials, laboratory equipment and professional development for teachers.

“Financial officers had a major role to play in creating the conditions necessary for improved academic outcomes and I want to urge you all to urgently review your practices ahead of the 2027 WASSCE,” she urged.

She tasked them to identify areas of financial leakage and ensure that available resources were directed towards interventions capable of improving teaching and learning, stressing that collective commitment to transparency and strategic resource management could help restore the academic reputation of the Volta Region.