61 per cent fail English/Maths in 2015 WASSCE –WAEC

The West African Examinations Council has withheld the May/June 2015 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results of hundreds of candidates from 13 states in the country.

This comes as the council stated that only 616, 370 candidates obtained credit in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. The candidates represented 38.68 per cent of the candidates who sat for the examination.

One million, five hundred and ninety-three thousand and four hundred and forty-two candidates, comprising 864,096 males and 729,346 females, sat for the examination.

 The WAEC Head of National Office, Mr. Charles Eguridu, made this known on Monday while releasing the result of the May/June 2015 WASSCE in Lagos.

He also announced that 118,101 candidates had their results withheld for alleged involvement in examination malpractice.

He explained, “Of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, 758,849 candidates, representing 47.62 per cent obtained six credits and above; 949,862 candidates, representing 59.61 per cent obtained five credits and above, while 1,114,988 candidates, representing 69.97 per cent obtained credit and above in four subjects.

“In addition, 1,295,915 candidates, representing 78.81 per cent obtained credit and above in three subjects, while 1,376,743 candidates, representing 86.40 per cent obtained credit and above in two subjects. However, 616,370 candidates, representing 38.68 per cent, obtained credit in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.”

To gain admission to the nation’s university, a candidate is expected to obtain credit in five subjects, including English and Mathematics

On the debtor states, the council alleged that they did not pay their candidates’ examination registration fees.

He, however, did not name the 13 debtor states.

The affected candidates, mainly government-sponsored candidates, Eguridu said, would only have their results if their states showed enough commitment to offsetting the debts.

The HNO said, “After reviewing the situation, the council has decided that the results of government-sponsored candidates of indebted states would be released if such states endeavour to produce bank guarantees, so that the council will be assured that the fees will be paid. This decision is in appreciation of the general prevailing economic challenges in the country, and in order not to jeopardise the educational careers of the candidates of the indebted states.”

Eguridu, who urged candidates to check their results on Tuesday, noted that public schools whose results were not on the council’s website should consider it to mean that their states were indebted to WAEC.

The council had, two weeks ago, threatened to withhold the results, claiming that 19 states owed it about N4bn debts arising from the examination registration fees.

Meanwhile, the Education Rights Campaign has condemned the West African Examination Council’s decision to withhold results of candidates from states that have defaulted on the body’s registration fees.

The ERC National Coordinator, Mr. Taiwo Soweto, in a statement in Lagos on Monday, described the directive as ‘insensitive’ and called on the examination body to reverse its decision immediately.

According to the group, withholding the results of candidates from affected states would be an ethical violation of the provisions of the Child Right Act 2003.

The statement read, “As a public institution, WAEC is obligated by the Child Right Act (2003) to make the best interest of the child the paramount consideration in all actions.