“Don’t Kill Yourself”: Successful GCE Candidates Comfort Peers Who Failed

The release of the 2024 General Certificate of Education (GCE) exam results has ignited a mix of jubilant celebrations and sorrow among candidates and their families.

While some revel in their success, others are grappling with the disappointment of failure.

In Buea, the atmosphere was electric on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, as successful candidates, parents and sponsors expressed their joy.

However, these celebrations were tempered by empathy for peers who did not pass.

Ojong Louisa, a candidate in Buea, could not contain her happiness after passing all five of her registered subjects at the Advanced Level.

“I feel excited and I don’t even know what to say. I’m very happy. I don’t know what to say. To have five papers at the Advanced Level is not easy. I’m very happy,” she said.

Despite her elation, Louisa took a moment to offer words of encouragement to those who didn’t succeed.

“Those who failed should take heart. It’s not something that they should kill themselves about. It’s normal; people must fail and people must pass,” Louisa said.

Her advice is poignant, given previous reports of students taking their own lives after failing the GCE exams.

Louisa’s father, Ojong Linus, a welder in Buea, expressed immense pride in his children’s achievements.

Both of his children who wrote the exams this year succeeded.

“If you are spending on your children, it is so that at least they should be successful,” he said. “I’m proud that my sleepless nights and my time, my financial aspect, they never put it in jeopardy. So they have made me proud as a parent. After everything, you might spend like that, and a child will not go and concentrate or do well like these two of my kids.”

Nyenti Tambi Manfred, a student from Bilingual Grammar School Molyko, who passed nine subjects at the Ordinary Level, also shared his joy and offered advice to both unsuccessful candidates and those preparing for next year’s exams.

“My word to those who are about to write is that they should just read with understanding. They should study their books very well. It’s not easy because you must put in a little bit of effort. You must have that sleepless night to accomplish your goal,” Tambi said.

Despite individual successes, the overall performance at the GCE exams this year showed a decline.

Official statistics indicate a 6.75 percent drop in the pass rate, with an overall pass rate of 60 percent compared to last year’s 67 percent.

The GCE Board, which released the results on its website following an official announcement by the Ministry of Secondary Education, extended congratulations to the successful candidates and urged those who did not pass to remain resilient and prepare for the next opportunity.

“The Board extends its hearty congratulations to all successful candidates and especially to their principals, teachers, parents, and boards of governors/management boards. We urge all unsuccessful candidates to draw inspiration from their setback and study harder for the 2025 examinations,” the GCE Board wrote upon publishing the results on July 24.

©Mimi Mefo Info