Not Just Bad Government—From Complicit Parents to slothful Students, Everyone’s Fingerprints Are on the Collapse
Back-to-Back Failures
First, it was JAMB: 2025 UTME results showed that less than 24% of over 1.9 million candidates scored 200 and above. Then came WAEC; in centres across Nigeria (Kogi, Lagos, etc), students sat for their WAEC English paper late at night, writing by candlelight after exam papers were abruptly replaced due to alleged leaks. One student described finishing at 9:30 PM, exhausted and demoralized.
Results: Only 38.32% passed with five credits—including English and Mathematics—a devastating drop from 72.12% in 2024.
The numbers are devastating. But the real disaster is this: it’s not just the system that’s failing. It’s the people too.
Who’s Failing Who?
1. The Government? Yes. But That’s Not the Whole Story
Years of underfunding, unpaid teacher salaries, dilapidated classrooms, unstable curriculum policies, and mass unemployment have left schools without direction. However, blaming the government alone hides the deeper rot.
2. Parents: From Guardians to Enablers
- In many exam centres, parents don’t just drop off their children—they drop off cash, too. Some bribe invigilators to let their children use phones or cheat sheets.
- Others pay “special centres” to guarantee their wards get leaked exam questions.
- Some parents even pressure teachers to “assist” students during exams to avoid embarrassment.
“We’re dealing with a culture where parents think success must be bought, not earned,” said Dr. Grace Adebayo, an education psychologist.
3. Teachers: Victims or Co-conspirators?
While many teachers are underpaid and overworked, some have become part of the problem:
- Selling “expo” for as low as ₦500 per subject.
- Marking internal exam scripts based on favour, not merit.
- Using lessons as transactional opportunities, not academic guidance.
Of course, thousands of honest, dedicated teachers remain. In general, the credibility of the profession is bleeding, one compromise at a time.
4. Students: Too Lethargic to Learn, Too Entitled to Fail?
Today’s students are growing up in a digital world of shortcuts and dopamine. Why read when AI can write your homework? Why study when you believe an “expo” is guaranteed?
Many students spend more time on TikTok than textbooks.
Some no longer see education as a path to success—just a rite of passage. From “school na scam mantra” to “handwork na scam mantra;” it’s obvious that most students are not taking their studies seriously.
A disturbing number of teens expect to “sort” or “arrange” their way through life.
“Students today are not just failing—many are no longer even trying,” said a secondary school principal in Kaduna.
Such decline is not accidental. Rather it’s engineered by neglect, sustained by corruption, and normalized by silence.
Voices from the Streets
“I paid ₦35,000 for my daughter’s WAEC special centre. Now she failed. Who is deceiving who?” a frustrated parent in Ibadan.
“Why should I stress myself reading when everyone knows expo is coming?”__SS3 student, anonymously, in Lagos State.
“They are using ₦2,500.00 to submit Data Processing paper” a student in Rivers State told me.
Louder Voices: Peter Obi & Oby Ezekwesili Speak Out
Peter Obi, in a national interview, expressed both commendation and concern. He praised the JAMB Registrar’s accountability, but sharply warned:
“Let’s not make glitches become a national crisis… While JAMB’s swift response and willingness to own up are commendable, the incident has revealed the fragility of our institutions… The cost of repeated failure is simply too high.”
Former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili, in an X post, criticized JAMB and the Ministry for their anecdotal, non-evidence-based response, stating:
“Technical matters must always be examined with professionalism… sadly missing in the toxic atmosphere created by incompetent politicians and intellectuals.”
These statements confirm real shock, real grievance—and real leadership concerns at the national level.
The Cultural Breakdown
This is no longer just about academics. It’s a cultural crisis. We have created a generation where:
- Cheating is normalized.
- Shortcuts are expected.
- Real effort is mocked.
- Merit is often punished, not rewarded.
What Needs to Change? A Holistic Revival
For the Government:
- Declare a State of Emergency in education.
- Increase education spending beyond 15% of the national budget.
- Invest in school infrastructure, teacher salaries, and curriculum innovation.
For Parents:
- Stop paying for malpractice. You’re raising cheats, not champions.
- Be involved in your child’s learning journey—not just their results.
- Model discipline, consistency, and curiosity at home.
For Teachers:
- Reclaim your honour. Report bribery. Resist pressure.
- Inspire learning, not shortcuts.
- Demand better conditions—through action, not silence.
For Students:
- Study like your future depends on it—because it does.
- Reject “expo” culture. It only leads to long-term failure.
- Own your education. Nobody owes you excellence—you earn it.
Conclusion
When students write exams by candlelight… parents bribe instead of mentor… schools prioritize reputation over learning… and when exam boards hide behind “glitches”… then a wholesome decay in the hearts of our educational sector is inevitable.
We are not failing exams. We are failing a generation—and allowing the collapse of a society’s soul.
WAEC has no CBT system to blame, yet its results crashed. The alleged reasons: delayed papers, leaks, assisted cheating—not infrastructure. This reinforces the argument that genuine systemic rot, not glitch, is at blame.
Time for excuses is over. We either transform now—or bless the next generation to fail, too.