Students’ poor reading habits contributing to English performance decline – WAEC

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has attributed the decline in candidates’ performance in English Language in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) partly to persistent weaknesses in grammar, poor reading habits, and the influence of informal language. Speaking on the Joy FM Super Morning Show on Monday, September 7, 2026, Head of Public Affairs at WAEC Ghana, John Kapi, revealed that the pass rate in English Language fell from 69% in 2025 to 62.40% in 2026.

Grammar and Analysis Challenges

Highlighting findings from the Chief Examiner’s report, Mr. Kapi noted that candidates struggled with poor control of grammar, weak expression, concord errors, and simple spelling mistakes. Beyond mechanics, candidates faced significant difficulty understanding and analyzing set passages in the examination paper.

Declining Reading Culture

Mr. Kapi emphasized that a declining reading culture is directly undermining candidates’ performance. He noted that regular reading remains essential for building vocabulary, mastering sentence structures, and improving comprehension skills required for formal academic writing.

Impact of Social Media and Pidgin

While clarifying that WAEC has not conducted a study directly linking social media to the decline, Mr. Kapi observed that informal language commonly used on platforms like WhatsApp and SMS such as contracted forms frequently creeps into examination scripts. He also cited the widespread use of Pidgin English as a key barrier, explaining that limited daily practice with standard English weakens overall proficiency.

Call for Shared Effort

To reverse the trend, Mr. Kapi stressed that improving English proficiency requires a collective effort among teachers, students, and the wider educational community. While educators provide formal instruction, students must consistently practice standard English in their daily lives to build lasting fluency.