Reactions have continued to trail the mass failure recorded in this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), with parents, teachers, and education groups calling for the cancellation of the English Language paper and a probe into alleged irregularities during the conduct of the examination.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Monday announced that out of 1,969,313 candidates who sat for the examination, only 754,545 — representing 38.32% — obtained credit passes and above in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. The figure marks a sharp drop from the 72.12% recorded in 2024.
Following the release of the results, several commentators attributed the poor performance to lapses in the examination process, especially the alleged late-night conduct of the English Language paper in some centres.
On the Concerned Parents and Educators Network (CPE) platform, members described the conduct of the examination as substandard and unacceptable.
A member, Adegoke Bimpe Atoke, said: “Mass failure in Mathematics and English. 450 words essays written with phone torchlight at 10:30 p.m. under the rain, with candidates swatting mosquitoes. How did we arrive here?”
Another member, Abiodun Adesanya Adeleke, called for the English paper to be retaken. “Students writing exams till past 9:00 p.m. with torch light in mosquito-infested classes. How do we call that a standardized exam?” she said.
A teacher, Mr. Adebayo Ifeoluwa, questioned the inconsistencies. “I am a teacher in one of the Lagos State schools. Exams started and ended at the right time. No exam is scheduled to be done at night. Who’s at fault?” he queried.
Another commentator, Rex Oscar, said the performance contradicted expectations, pointing out that many students who performed well in JAMB still failed the English Language paper.
He called on the government to set up an inquest to investigate the matter.
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Calls for a total cancellation of the English Language paper and its rescheduling have gained traction among parents and stakeholders, with some suggesting that both English and Mathematics be rewritten due to widespread irregularities.
Meanwhile, sources within WAEC have attributed the poor results partly to anti-malpractice measures introduced this year.
One of the measures reportedly included the serialization of objective questions, which prevented candidates from copying each other as the order of questions differed for each student.
“Question number one for a candidate may be number 20 for another candidate. The era of copying same answers is over,” a source said, noting that most candidates struggled with the objective section.
The National President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, also linked the poor performance to a lack of qualified teachers, poor teacher welfare, and economic hardship faced by parents.
“Many states have refused to recruit teachers to fill existing vacancies. Some parents cannot afford textbooks. How can a teacher who is struggling to survive give the best to students?” he said.
Stakeholders are calling on WAEC and relevant authorities to urgently address the issues surrounding the conduct of the 2025 examination and implement necessary reforms to restore confidence in the nation’s education system.