The Liberian government-run Lango Lippaye High School recorded a poor performance after 392 of its 512 students (76.6%) who sat the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) failed to meet the graduation standards set by the Ministry of Education (MOE).
Despite the poor outcome, the school’s administration is reportedly moving to bypass the policy and graduate students who did not qualify.
A communication issued to students stated: “This is to certify that you have met all of the academic requirements set forth by the Ministry of Education, Republic of Liberia.”
According to WASSCE standards, students must pass at least five subjects, including Mathematics and English, to graduate. However, only 120 students (23.4%) of Lango Lippaye met this benchmark, while the vast majority fell short.
Further breakdown of the results reveals that 45 students, representing 8.8 percent of the class, failed all nine subjects outright.
In addition, the performance in individual subjects was even more troubling: every single one of the 512 students failed Biology, while 99.4 percent, or 509 students, failed Economics.
Similarly, 507 students, accounting for 99 percent, could not pass Chemistry, and 498 students, or 97.3 percent, failed Geography.
The Ministry of Education’s graduation policy requires schools to enforce these results in line with the exam body’s standards.
However, a September 10, 2025, communication from Lango Lippaye’s administration instructed even failing students to process graduation payments.
The letter also stated that the school would not be responsible for printing diplomas after the ceremony, since all students — both pass and fail — had been issued final graduation clearance.
The dismal performance reflect longstanding issues at the Kakata-based high school.
During a nationwide tour in April 2024, Education Minister Jarso Jallah observed that although the school employed 58 teachers, many classrooms were without instructors.
For example, despite having four physics teachers on payroll, no physics lessons were being taught at the time.
Vice Principal for Instruction Mohammed Conteh, who signed the September communication, could not be reached for comment. Phone calls and text messages seeking clarification went unanswered.
When contacted, Margibi County Education Officer Robert Zaza said no school under his supervision would graduate students who did not meet the requirements, emphasizing his role as an administrator is to fully implement MOE policy.
However, he admitted that his office does not have direct access to the WASSCE results of schools in the county.
THE Ministry of Education in June announced a strict policy that students cannot graduate from high school without passing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which is administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
This rule, according to the Ministry of Education, is to maintain the integrity of the educational system.
Passing the WASSCE is the definitive requirement for high school completion. Education officials have repeatedly warned school authorities that graduating students before the WAEC results are officially released is prohibited.
To be eligible for graduation, 12th-grade students must achieve a passing mark in a minimum of five subjects, which must include both Mathematics and English.
Liberia’s Ministry of Education has taken action against schools that violate this rule. In 2023, for example, the Ministry banned two schools for allowing students to graduate without WAEC results, stating the schools showed “gross disrespect” for the policy.
The WASSCE is seen as the official certification that a student has mastered the knowledge and skills required by the national curriculum. Graduating students who have failed the exam is viewed as undermining the entire educational system.
Students who do not pass the WASSCE are not permitted to graduate. They must re-sit the exams in order to meet the requirements for graduation. Education authorities believe it is illogical for a student to participate in graduation ceremonies only to later find out they must re-take the exams.
This firm policy is intended to ensure that only qualified students receive a high school certificate, thereby upholding the standard of education in the country.
At Thurday’s MICAT Press Breifings, the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) reiterated that there will be no graduation for any school until the West African Examinations Council (WAECs results were released.
