Over 500,000 students fail English, Mathematics in 2024 WASSCE

The newly released 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results indicate that a staggering 503,275 candidates failed to achieve a passing grade in both English Language and Mathematics.

This alarming statistic highlights a significant challenge facing the nation’s educational system, as it represents a considerable portion of the 1.8 million students who sat for the examination.

Amos Dangut, Head of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Nigeria Office, expressed deep concern regarding the declining performance in these core subjects. The results illustrate a troubling trend, underscoring issues related to educational quality and the preparedness of students for higher learning.

Out of the total 1,805,216 candidates who participated in this year’s examination, only 1,301,941 students, or 72.12%, managed to secure credits in a minimum of five subjects, including the crucial English Language and Mathematics. This marks a significant drop of 7.69% from the previous year’s performance, where 79.81% of students achieved similar results.

Breaking down the statistics further, Dangut noted that of those who passed, 628,820 were male candidates (48.30%), while 673,121 were female candidates (51.70%). These figures reflect a slight shift in gender performance, yet the overarching issue remains the alarming failure rates.

In a further blow to academic integrity, WAEC revealed that results for 215,267 candidates, accounting for 11.92% of the total, have been withheld due to various incidents of examination malpractice. This decision emphasizes WAEC’s commitment to upholding the standards of the examination process.

The examination body confirmed that the results were officially released on August 12, 2024, urging all candidates to check their performance through the official WAEC website.

As stakeholders in the Nigerian education system reflect on these results, the pressing question remains: what measures can be taken to reverse this trend and ensure that future students are better equipped for academic success?