Pidgin and whatsApp slang flood WASSCE scripts - WAEC warns

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has expressed serious concern over the growing use of pidgin English and social media-style writing in students’ examination scripts, warning that the trend is significantly undermining performance in English Language.

Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV, WAEC’s Head of Public Relations, John Kapi, disclosed that the 2025 Chief Examiner’s report uncovered widespread misuse of informal language in candidates’ essays, including slang, abbreviations, and casual WhatsApp expressions.

According to him, examiners encountered “extensive pidgin” throughout scripts, along with shorthand expressions that are completely unsuitable for a formal academic assessment.

“The English report clearly shows that many candidates relied heavily on pidgin and social media jargons — the kind of language we casually use on WhatsApp. These expressions do not belong in an examination setting,” Mr. Kapi explained.

Beyond the misuse of informal language, Mr. Kapi also revealed that a large number of candidates demonstrated serious weaknesses in spelling, grammar, and sentence construction, a trend he described as worrying.

He noted that many students were unable to express themselves using standard English, even in basic essay writing.

“Some candidates could not spell correctly, could not frame proper sentences, and struggled to communicate their ideas clearly. This reflects deeper problems within the education system and the wider society,” he said.

WAEC is now calling for a collective national effort to address the problem, stressing that the responsibility does not rest solely with teachers.

Mr. Kapi urged parents, schools, and education authorities to work together to promote proper language development from early childhood.

“We must start from the home, strengthen what happens in schools, and also ensure that the right support systems are in place. As a society, we still have a lot of work to do to position our children to succeed academically,” he added.

The warning comes against the backdrop of one of the steepest declines in WASSCE performance in recent years. Passes in Core Mathematics (A1–C6) dropped sharply from 305,132 in 2024 to 209,068 in 2025 — a reduction of more than 96,000 candidates, bringing the overall pass rate down to 48.73%.

Further data also shows that almost 25 percent of candidates failed both Core Mathematics and Social Studies, pointing to systemic academic challenges that go beyond language alone.