The declining standard of WAEC results in recent years is a troubling reflection of deeper systemic issues.
It is clear that the responsibility does not lie with one group alone—schools, parents, and government all share in the blame and must play their part in reversing the trend.
A closer examination of schools whose WAEC results were withheld this year reveals a disturbing pattern: many of these are faith-based institutions.
This raises serious questions about the integrity of their internal systems and the extent to which values-based education is truly being practiced. Are these schools living up to the moral and ethical standards they preach?
Parents, too, bear significant responsibility. Increasingly, we see parents actively seeking out so-called “miracle centres” just to secure good grades for their children—regardless of the moral or long-term academic consequences. This creates immense pressure on schools to deliver unrealistic results, which in turn encourages institutions to aggressively advertise excellent performance—often misleadingly—to attract more enrollments.
The government, for its part, must take urgent steps to revamp the public education system. The state of most public schools—particularly in Kwara State—is deeply concerning. Despite ongoing investments, educational outcomes remain poor.
A simple visit to many public schools reveals environments that are unkempt, chaotic, and sometimes virtually abandoned by teachers. Students are left without proper academic guidance, roaming aimlessly during school hours.
A sincere and comprehensive overhaul of the public education system is long overdue. The Kwara State Government must go beyond infrastructure development to ensure proper monitoring, teacher accountability, and active community involvement. Discipline, quality, and vision must be restored to our schools.
The Ministry of Education, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and the Teaching Service Commission must collaborate to establish a robust quality control unit. This unit must enforce discipline, monitor performance, and ensure that individuals who fail in their responsibilities are held accountable.
Our public schools should not serve as a hiding place for the indolent or incapacitated. Every individual employed in the public school system must be up and doing.
I must commend both the immediate past and current Commissioners for Education for their contributions to improving public education in Kwara State. However, there is still much more to be done. This administration should consider organizing a stakeholders’ summit to create synergy and chart a way forward. Only then can we restore public confidence in our schools.
The future of our children depends on it—and so does the future of our state.
Tunde Olarinoye is a public relations practitioner based in Ilorin. He can be reached via his email: tundeolarinoye1@gmail.com
