The technical glitches in the recently released results of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) underscore the glaring shoddiness in the conduct of the examination by the West African Examination Council (WAEC). Following the nationwide uproar that trailed the first release of the results, which recorded the worst performance in five years, the examination body later reviewed the results and released a better version.
While in the initial released results, 38.32 per cent of candidates who took part in the examination got credits in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, in the reviewed results, 62.96 per cent of the candidates who sat for the examination had credits and above in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. The corrected results showed that 1,794,821 candidates or 91.14 per cent obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, with or without English and Mathematics.
Details of the results showed that 1,239,884 candidates or 62.96 per cent obtained credits in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, a significant improvement from the previously reported 38.32 per cent pass. Of this number, 657,819 or 53.05 per cent were female, while 582,065 or 46.95 per cent were male candidates. However, this still reflects a 9.16 per cent drop from the 72.12 per cent performance recorded in 2024.
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WAEC reported that a total of 1,969,313 candidates sat for the examination, including candidates from schools in Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea, which operate the Nigerian curriculum. The council also catered to 12,178 special needs candidates, including the visually impaired (112), hearing impaired (615), physically challenged (37), and spastic/mentally challenged (52).
These candidates’ results have also been processed and released. While 1,763,470 candidates or 89.55 per cent have had their results fully processed, 205,916 or 10.45 per cent still have one or more subjects pending due to technical issues. WAEC has assured parents, schools and all stakeholders that efforts are on-going to conclude processing and release of outstanding results shortly.
Meanwhile, results of 191,053 candidates or 9.7 per cent have been withheld over allegations of examination malpractice. This is lower than 11.92 per cent recorded in 2024. It is a welcome development that WAEC has been able to correct the mistakes, which would have plunged many candidates and their households into despair and frustration. The courage demonstrated by the examination body is commendable in the face of glaring embarrassment. Over the years, WAEC enjoyed a fairly good reputation for integrity and professionalism, which is why its results are recognised globally.
Although the newly released results show remarkable improvement from the first result, it still falls short by 9.16per cent compared to the 2024 results. This means that there is a gradual decline in the success rate of candidates who sat for the examination. The poor performance in this year’s results reflects the falling standard of education at the primary and secondary school levels across the country.
Many factors are responsible for the gradual poor performance in WASSC examinations and these include poor funding of education, lack of qualified teachers at the basic education level and paucity of facilities to teach science/technical subjects. When students are not properly taught from basic classes up to senior secondary school level, it will reflect in their WASSCE results.
Commercialisation of education at the basic level has not helped matters. This is more due to the proliferation of private schools across the country. Many of these private schools are profit-oriented to the detriment of quality education. The commercialisation of education has had a ripple effect in the polity because students are more concerned with material things rather than knowledge.
The societal value system is changing towards acquiring money at all cost. This is arguably the greatest threat to education in the country. Given that students don’t prepare well for WASSC examinations, they resort to malpractices as a short cut to success. Most times, the results are cancelled over glaring malpractice. Parents should inculcate good morals in their children. The education of a child starts at home.
The school will build on what the child had from the family. Religious organisations should help in the moral upbringing of children through youth programmes. They should de-emphasize money and short-cut to success.
Our political leaders should be exemplary so that the youths can emulate them. Unfortunately, the political class has not shown the much-needed example in promoting societal values, patriotism and nation-building. Let WAEC sit up and avoid shoddy conduct of its examinations.
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