The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is facing mounting criticism following the dismal performance in the 2025 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), with calls for the cancellation and retake of the English Language paper gaining momentum.
The backlash was triggered by shocking reports that some students were allegedly forced to write their English exams late at night—under torchlight and in mosquito-infested classrooms—raising questions about the credibility of the entire process.
The results, released on Monday, revealed that only 38.32% of the 1,969,313 candidates obtained credits and above in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. This marks a sharp drop from the 72.12% success rate recorded in 2024.
"Almighty WAEC Has Done It Again" – Parents React
A wave of outrage swept through the Concerned Parents and Educators (CPE) Network, where multiple commentators called for an inquest into the English Language paper.
“450-word essays written with phone torchlight at 10:30 pm under the rain, with candidates swatting mosquitoes. How did we arrive here?” wrote Adegoke Bimpe Atoke, lamenting the failure and calling for systemic reforms.
“If WAEC has lost relevance, can we have something else? A better mechanism tailored to our context?” she added.
Others, like Abiodun Adesanya Adeleke, demanded that the English paper be retaken.
“Students writing exams till past 9:00 pm with torch light. How do we call that a standardized exam?” she asked.
Teachers Caught in the Middle
Some educators pushed back, blaming systemic failures rather than the examination board.
“No exam is scheduled to be written at night,” said Mr. Adebayo Ifeoluwa, a teacher in Lagos. “If such happened, then something broke down administratively. Who’s responsible?”
Malpractice Clampdown or Mass Confusion?
Insiders told our correspondent that WAEC tightened security measures this year to curb widespread malpractice, including serializing objective questions—a strategy that scrambled question numbers across scripts to make copying difficult.
“The era of reading out answers is over,” said a source. “But many students didn’t do well, especially in the objective sections.”
Beyond Exams: A Failing Education System?
The National President of the Parent-Teacher Association, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, acknowledged a drop in malpractice but warned that poor teacher recruitment, lack of funding, and rising textbook costs were deeper issues behind the poor performance.
“Many states refuse to hire new teachers. Parents can’t afford textbooks. Teachers are underpaid. How can students excel under these conditions?” he said.
Statistical Shock:
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2025: Only 38.32% of candidates passed 5 subjects (including English & Math)
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2024: 72.12% passed same benchmark
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Difference: Nearly 34% decline in performance year-on-year
What’s Next?
With public pressure mounting, stakeholders are calling on WAEC and the Ministry of Education to investigate the circumstances surrounding the exams, especially the allegations of late-night testing and systemic lapses.
Calls for reforms, or even a new examination framework tailored to Nigeria’s realities, are growing louder by the day.
