Performance in Social Studies declined sharply in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), with only 248,538 out of 461,736 candidates representing 55.82% scoring between grades A1 and C6. This marks one of the steepest declines in recent years.
According to WAEC, “Table 2 shows fluctuating trends in performance of candidates in all the core subjects over the four-year period,” noting a significant drop from 71.53% in 2024 to 55.82% in 2025 for Social Studies alone. The Council further disclosed that results of candidates under investigation for alleged collusion spanning 185 schools will be released by the end of December 2025 pending the outcome of ongoing inquiries.
The poor performance has sparked concerns among educators and stakeholders, who fear it reflects deeper gaps in civic education, analytical skills, and critical thinking among students. Calls are mounting for targeted reforms, stricter teacher accountability, and comprehensive learning interventions to address the systemic issues highlighted by this year’s results.
