By Omar Bah
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, MoBSE, has said that the analysis that most people made on the recent WASSCE results have been inaccurate.
Mohammed Jallow, permanent secretary at the ministry told journalists yesterday that contrary to widespread belief the results of grade 12 students in 2018 were better than the previous years.
“There are reports that only 475 candidates passed the WASSCE 2018 examination. This 475 represents the number of candidates with 5 credits including English and Math. The reports being circulated interpret everybody outside this figure as failure,” said Jallow.
But according to PS Jallow, this figure failed to input that 1, 629 candidates have five credits or more with a pass in English or math or both which gives them access to University.
“Again some 2, 183 candidates have five credits or more in 2018 compared to 1, 656 in 2017.
“Out of the 2, 183 candidates with 5 credits or more, 1, 029 are females. Going by region, 1, 036 candidates are from Region One, 851 from Region Two. We have seen an overall increase across the regions in 2018 compared to 2017. For example, Region Six has increased from 30 candidates with at least 5 credits in 2017 to 76 candidates with at least 5 credits in 2018,” he added.
Jallow said the total failure from 2018 exam was 14.9% whereas the total failure from last year was 21.7%.
He said the number of students who sat for the WASSCE exams in 2018 were 13, 334, which is an increase from 12, 121 in 2017.
This is the first time the ministry has commented since the results were released, which were generally seen as the worst in recent years.
Several Gambian activists and academics called for immediate action to reform the education sector.
Jallow said the ministry is also working on efforts towards ensuring that there are capable teachers in all the schools to improve quality of learning in schools.
