WAEC demands further study into persistent English Language failures

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is urging further investigation into the persistent decline of English Language performance among senior high school candidates. This comes after the release of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, which show a significant drop in English Language grades.

In 2026, only 62.40% of candidates achieved grades A1 to C6 in English Language, a decrease from 69.00% in 2025, 69.52% in 2024, and 73.11% in 2023. English Language was the only core subject to record a consistent decline over the four-year period, while Mathematics, Integrated Science, and Social Studies showed varying improvement.

WAEC's Director of Public Affairs, John Kapi, stated that the council's assessment is based on reports from chief examiners, highlighting a steady decline in English Language performance between 2023 and 2026. Kapi emphasized the need to examine how students are prepared for the WASSCE, as the issues lie in basic areas they should have mastered throughout their education.

The summary passage, a key component of the English Language exam, is the main area of concern, as it is only introduced in senior high school. Kapi suggested that WAEC may need to conduct additional studies beyond the chief examiners' reports to determine the reasons behind the declining English Language performance among senior high school candidates. In the 2026 WASSCE, 512,862 candidates from 1,022 schools took the examination.