Published: September 8, 2026
KAKATA, Margibi County — Booker Washington Institute, BWI, recorded a 68.9% failure rate in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, with 131 of 190 candidates failing, according to an analysis of the school’s examination results in the possession of The Liberian Investigator.
By Emmanuel Degleh
The figures show that 59 candidates, or 31.1%, passed, meaning nearly seven in ten candidates were unsuccessful.
English Language recorded the highest number of subject failures, with 104 candidates failing, equivalent to 54.7% of the 190 candidates. Mathematics followed, with 27 candidates failing, or 14.2% of the examination cohort.
The subject-level figures, however, should not be added together to calculate the overall number of students who failed because individual candidates may have failed more than one subject.
The results list English Language and Mathematics among several subjects, including Economics, Geography, History, Literature in English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Some candidates received passing grades in individual subjects but were classified as having failed the examination because they failed English or Mathematics, which are deemed compulsory subjects.
The result sheet ends with candidate No. 190, confirming an examination cohort of 190 candidates.
The academic results have also raised questions about BWI’s broader performance, particularly its technical and vocational education and training, or TVET, component. BWI is one of Liberia’s leading institutions for training middle-level technicians, making its examination performance a matter of public interest, particularly amid concerns about tuition costs and government support.
BWI’s administration did not immediately provide a detailed response to the overall WASSCE academic performance but addressed concerns surrounding the TVET component.
The administration said the 2026 WASSCE-TVET examination was a pioneering exercise for Liberia and that BWI’s participation represented an important step toward integrating technical and vocational education into the national examination system.
It said the outcome should not be attributed to a single administrator or administration but should be viewed in the context of the collective efforts of generations of BWI administrators, teachers, staff, students, alumni, and partners.
The administration described the first pilot examination as a learning opportunity rather than a final judgment on the institution’s technical education program.
The administration said it would pay particular attention to the poor performance recorded in Basic Electricity and Technical Drawing, with interventions expected to be developed to improve future examination outcomes.
Rather than treating the 2026 results as a failure of the entire TVET initiative, the administration said the examination provided data that could help identify weaknesses and guide improvements before subsequent examinations.
The administration also appealed for responsible public discussion of BWI’s performance, particularly from former administrators, educators, alumni and others with longstanding connections to the institution.
BWI’s administration noted that criticism is welcomed when it is aimed at strengthening the institution but cautioned that public discussions should be based on facts, fairness and verified information.
“Accountability Should Not Become Denigration,” the administration said, emphasizing that criticism should not undermine public confidence in the institution.
“BWI belongs to all of us,” the administration said, stressing that protecting and strengthening the institution is a collective responsibility.
For the 2026 WASSCE cohort, the figures still present a significant academic challenge: 59 of 190 candidates passed, while 131 failed, for an overall failure rate of 68.9%.
The subject results, particularly the 104 failures in English Language, also point to areas that may require closer attention as BWI prepares students for future national examinations.
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