WAEC Mass Failure Sparks Outrage, Calls for English Paper Cancellation

Outrage continues to trail the mass failure recorded in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), as parents, education stakeholders, and advocacy groups demand urgent accountability and reforms. Many are specifically calling for the cancellation and rescheduling of the English Language paper, citing irregularities during the exam’s administration.

Leading the charge, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) described the conduct of some papers—especially the English Language exam held at night in some centres—as “unacceptable and detrimental to student performance.”

Only 38.32% of candidates achieved credit-level passes in both English Language and Mathematics—two subjects critical for securing university admission. This figure represents a sharp drop from 72.12% recorded in 2024.

Parents and Educators Raise Alarm

Parents on the Concerned Parents and Educators Network (CPE) platform have voiced anger and concern. In a post by Adegoke Bimpe Atoke, she wrote:

“WAEC has done it again. Mass failure in Mathematics and English. Students writing 450-word essays at 10:30 pm under rain with phone torchlights and mosquitoes—how did we get here? The system needs urgent and strategic reform.”

Another parent, Abiodun Adesanya Adeleke, insisted the English Language paper should be retaken:

“Students wrote exams past 9 p.m. in mosquito-infested classrooms with flashlights. That is not a standardised exam.”

Educators also weighed in. Adebayo Ifeoluwa, a teacher in a Lagos State school, questioned accountability:

“Our exams started and ended on time. So, who’s responsible for the night exams? No paper is scheduled for nighttime.”

Rex Oscar added that it’s unfair to blame students entirely:

“Even top JAMB scorers failed English. Can we say over 70% of students didn’t prepare? The government must investigate.”

Adetoun Aremu recommended a complete rewrite of English and Mathematics papers, while Ifeoma Eucharia lamented that despite students’ suffering, failure still followed.

NAPPS President Condemns Exam Conditions

NAPPS President, Yomi Otubela, decried the situation and linked the poor performance to deeper issues in Nigeria’s education system:

“The 38% pass rate is the worst in 15 years. We’ve neglected teacher development and infrastructure. Many children in rural areas lack access to computers and learn in non-conducive environments.”

He called for urgent teacher training, improved funding, and the adoption of digital tools to bridge the gap between teaching and learning outcomes.

WAEC Defends Examination Integrity

However, sources within WAEC indicated that the exam body implemented new anti-malpractice measures, including question serialisation—where all candidates receive the same questions, but in different sequences—to discourage cheating.

This, the source said, significantly impacted performance, especially in objective questions:

“Students could no longer copy easily. Many struggled with the objective section due to these changes.”

NAPTAN Reacts

The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) also weighed in, with its President, Haruna Danjuma, acknowledging reduced malpractice but pointing to other pressing issues:

“We lack adequate qualified teachers. Many states haven’t filled vacancies. Teachers are poorly paid and overworked. Parents can’t afford textbooks. These are the real drivers of poor outcomes.”

He called for better school infrastructure, investment in teacher welfare, and increased parental involvement in education.

Background

When WAEC released the results on Monday, it revealed that of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat for the 2025 exam, only 754,545 obtained at least five credits—including English and Mathematics.

This contrasts starkly with the previous year’s performance, where 72.12% of candidates reached the same benchmark—highlighting a significant and troubling decline.