Mass Failure In WAEC 2025 Sparks Calls For English, Math Papers To Be Cancelled

STRONG reactions continue over the mass failure of candidates in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), with parents and education groups demanding the cancellation of certain papers, particularly English Language.

The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) criticized the conduct of exams during nighttime hours, calling it “unacceptable and detrimental” to student performance.

This year, only 38.32% of candidates passed English Language and Mathematics at credit level – a sharp decline from 72.12% in 2024. Both subjects are key for university admission in Nigeria.

Parents Demand Action

The Concerned Parents and Educators Network (CPE) called for:

• Retake of the English Language paper

• Investigation into why exams were held at night in some areas

Adegoke Bimpe Atoke of CPE posted:

“450-word essays written under torchlight at 10:30 pm in the rain, with candidates swatting mosquitoes. How did we arrive here? Our systems need drastic reforms.”

Other parents and commentators echoed the sentiment, calling for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s education system and standardized exam conditions.

NAPPS Raises Alarm Over Nighttime Exams

NAPPS President Yomi Otubela, speaking on Channels Television, condemned the practice of conducting exams at night.

“Students writing exams late into the night with candles and torchlights cannot produce commendable results. This is unacceptable and undermines academic outcomes.”

He commended students who performed well despite difficult conditions but cited systemic issues like:

• Inadequate teacher development

• Underfunded schools

• Poor digital access in rural areas

“Many children study in non-conducive environments. Budgetary allocations fall short of UNESCO recommendations,” Otubela said.

WAEC’s Preventive Measures Against Cheating

Sources indicated that WAEC adopted paper serialization to curb cheating, where the same questions appeared in different order for each candidate.

“Most candidates did not perform well in objective papers despite measures to prevent malpractice,” a source revealed.

Haruna Danjuma, National President of NAPTAN, highlighted challenges affecting performance:

• Teacher shortages and unpaid vacancies

• High textbook costs

• Poor teacher welfare impacting teaching quality

• Limited parental involvement

Worrisome Decline in Pass Rate

Of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat for the 2025 WASSCE:

• 754,545 candidates (38.32%) obtained credits in at least five subjects, including English and Mathematics

• Compared to 72.12% in 2024, the drop is alarming and has triggered calls for urgent intervention