Strong reactions have continued to trail the mass failure recorded in the 2024 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), especially in core subjects like English Language and Mathematics, with parents, educators, and stakeholders calling for urgent reforms and accountability.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) reported that only 38.32% of candidates obtained credit-level passes in both English and Mathematics — a disturbing statistic given that these subjects are critical for university admission in Nigeria.
Among the loudest critics are parents and members of education-focused groups like the Concerned Parents and Educators Network (CPE), who are demanding the cancellation of the English Language paper, citing unacceptable examination conditions, including reports that some candidates sat for the exam at night using torchlights and in mosquito-infested environments.
A post on the CPE platform by Adegoke Bimpe Atoke captured the outrage:
“Almighty WAEC has done it again. The pregnancy of a few months ago has finally given birth. Mass failure in Mathematics and English. 450-word essays written with a phone torchlight at 10:30 pm under the rain, with candidates swatting mosquitoes. How did we arrive here?”
Other parents echoed similar sentiments, questioning the credibility of the results and the integrity of the exam process.
“The English Language is supposed to be retaken with all the nonsense that happened on that day,” said Abiodun Adesanya Adeleke.
“Students writing exams till past 9:00 pm with torchlight and in mosquito-infested classes. How do we call that a standardised exam?”
The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) has also weighed in, criticising the late-night scheduling of exams and describing it as unacceptable and detrimental to performance.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, NAPPS President Yomi Otubela expressed dismay over reports that students in some states wrote their exams under candlelight and torchlight.
“We cannot overrule the fact that the condition in which the examination was written in some states is not acceptable to us,” Otubela stated.
“Children writing exams late into the night with candles and torchlights cannot be a standard that will allow us to have commendable results.”
Despite the criticisms, Otubela commended students who managed to perform under such difficult circumstances and pointed to systemic challenges in the nation’s education sector.
“There is a challenge in our educational system at the moment. Both private and government stakeholders need a more robust working relationship to identify where the challenges lie and proffer lasting solutions.”
Similarly, Haruna Danjuma, the National President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), said the mass failure highlights deep-rooted issues in the sector. While he acknowledged that exam malpractice may have declined, he cited other pressing concerns:
“Do we have the teachers that can deliver what is needed in the required number? Many states have refused to engage new teachers to fill vacancies,” Danjuma said.
“Some parents cannot afford to buy the necessary textbooks for their wards. Teachers’ welfare is also critical. When a teacher is thinking of what to eat and how to meet basic needs, how can he give the best to the students?”
He also urged parents to be more involved in their children’s education to help close the performance gap.
As pressure mounts on WAEC to explain the circumstances surrounding the mass failure and the late-night exams, education stakeholders continue to call for a thorough investigation, policy overhaul, and better coordination to ensure that future SSCE candidates are not subjected to similar conditions.
