ABSTRACT 

The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that cause poor performance of students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination in selected Public Junior High Schools in Mampong Municipality. The objectives of the study were to identify student related factors that contributes to poor performance of students in the BECE, ascertain home conditions responsible for the poor academic achievement of students in BECE and to find out school related issues that contributes to the poor academic performance of students in the BECE in Mampong Municipal. Descriptive survey design was used with closed ended questionnaires to collect data for the study. The targeted population of the study was all the headteachers, teachers and parents of selected Junior High Schools in the Mampong Municipality. A total of 200 headteachers, teachers, students and parents were sampled for the study. Among the main findings were that, there are a lot of factors that contribute to poor performance of students which includes lack of textbooks to cover syllabus, poor revision management, too many extra-curricular activities, poor economic background of parents, low academic background of parents and divorce of parents, teachers’ absence from classes, students’ abuse/humiliation, lack of proper supervision among others. Based on the findings, it is recommended that regular Parents Teacher Association (P.T.A) meeting should be organized to educate parents to honor their responsibilities by providing the learning needs of students that are not provided by the school.