School Libraries as Panaceas for Mass Failure in West African Senior School Certificate Examinations in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper attempted to explain school libraries as reliable and dependable panaceas for mass failure in West African Examination Council Senior School Certificate Examinations (WAEC SSCE). The paper began with an introduction highlighting various comments and views on reports of mass failure in SSCE in recent years in Nigeria. This was followed by providing a brief on the concept of West African Examination Council. Percentages of students that passed SSCE from 2008 to 2012 with five credits including English Language and Mathematics were obtained from newspapers and online reports and shown in tables to confirm the claim of mass failure of students in the WAEC examinations in recent years. School libraries and their capacity to improve student performance were discussed. Some recommendations were made as regards putting in place world class school libraries in Nigerian schools and committing them to regular use by the students for success in examinations.

Keywords: School library, panacea, mass failure, examination.