Encomium
THE marginal decline in the performance of candidates writing the May-June West African School Certificate Examination is becoming alarming.
Information pieced together by ENCOMIUM Weekly revealed that West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), recorded the worst result in the last three years. About 70 per cent of candidates failed to obtain five credits including Mathematics and English. Only 529,425 (31.28 per cent) obtained five credits including Maths and English out of the 1,692,435 who sat for the May-June, 2014 examination.
In 2012, 649,156 candidates had credit in English and Mathematics, making about 38.81 per cent of WAEC candidates while in 2013, 610,334 (36.57 per cent) had credit in English and Maths.
In 2014, 1,705,976 candidates registered for May-June WAEC. 1,692,435 sat for the examination of which 929,075 were male and 763,360 female. 1,605,613 candidates have their result released while 86,822 candidates have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors mainly traceable to laxity on the part of the candidates and the school in the course of registration or writing the examination.
However, this steady decline in performance of students has been attributed to the ongoing attitude towards education in Nigeria. In the past year alone, industrial action by teachers dominated the news headlines. In Benue State alone, teachers embarked on eight months strike to demand better conditions and allowances, in addition to better welfare.
Teachers in the Northern parts of the country are facing peculiar challenge not common to their colleagues in other parts of the country. The National Union of Teachers once reported that they have lost over 173 of their members to Boko Haram insurgency.
Another school of thought blamed the mass failure on students who engage themselves with the social media instead of reading their books. Students also keep themselves busy with all entertaining programmes on cable television such as GOTv, DSTV, Startimes and neglect the educative ones.
An average Nigerian teenager uses the latest and most expensive mobile phone just to show off. They get so accustomed to the mobile language that they write it during examinations. For example, some students write ‘ur’ instead of ‘your’, ‘2moro’ instead of ‘tomorrow’.
ENCOMIUM Weekly sampled the opinion of students, parents and teachers about the mass failure of 2014 May/June WAEC examination. The Head of National Office of WAEC, Mr. Charles Egundu also gave his opinion on why there was mass failure in WAEC. He said, “We cannot blame government for the decline in candidates performance, parents angle should also be considered. It is not fair to blame the schools or government for candidates’ poor results.”
FESTUS OLUWASEGUNFUNMI, Teacher
How will you rate students’ performance in the last WASCE?
From the report of WAEC, it is hugely pathetic to imagine that only 31 per cent of students had six credits and above. If that is the case, the result is a disgrace to the nation at large.
Did your students perform well?
Yes, I had students I was taking private lessons. One had 2Bs and six credits, then an outstanding in Physics. Another had credit in all subjects except one. I think that is quite encouraging.
What do you think was responsible for the mass failure?
Na who read na im pass o. I sincerely think the cause of failure is poor study pattern and preparation for the examination. This generation is extremely high. They have to go to Whatsapp, BBM, Android games and special centres.
FUNKE ADEBISI, Parent
How will you rate students’ performance in the last WASCE?
It is quite pathetic. The education system is really declining. When you compare the amount parents pay as school fees, that result is disheartening.
Did your children perform well?
My children are still young but I have cousins who wrote the exam and one of them had six credits while the others had four credits.
What do you think was responsible for mass failure?
A lot of factors on the part of parents, government and school authorities even students. A lot of students don’t have the right attitude to learning. They prefer to stay glued to cable television and gadgets. Parents also do not monitor their children well. They leave home early and come back late without knowing what their children did after school. I don’t blame them anyway, the state of the economy is the cause. If things were right, if government provided the necessary facilities, parents would not be gone all day.
DAMILOLA MAKINDE, Student
How will you rate students’ performance in the last WASCE?
A lot of people did not pass. Some performed well in my centre, some subjects were not released as well. For instance, a lot of students failed Biology and Economics.
How was your performance?
I did well in other subjects except Biology and Economics.
ADEYEMI NIYI, Student
How will you rate students’ performance in the last WASCE?
Most of my friends passed but a lot of people failed. A lot of people did not pass Mathematics and English.
How was your performance?
I have five credits including English Language but I did not make my Mathematics.
What do you think was responsible for the mass failure?
I tried as much as possible to prepare for the exam. I put in my best but it is quite unfortunate I couldn’t make Maths. Some students relied on special centres. I know of some parents who registered their children in special centres so they could pass.
OREOFEOLUWA ABOLORE, Teacher
How will you rate students’ performance in the last WASCE?
It is not an encouraging performance. It is really sad that students no longer have reading culture. They all tried their best. On an average I will say not most of them had more than five credits excluding Mathematics or English.
What do you think was responsible for the mass failure?
Most students are just lazy. No matter how much you teach, if they don’t read and practice what they have been taught, they would not be able to cope.
– SHADE METIBOGUN, DOLAPO AMODENI and WALE OLASUPO
