Cambridge: Buhari ‘did not need to pass Maths’

Fresh information released by Cambridge Assessment, managers of the three examination boards of the University of Cambridge, has revealed that candidates in West African School Certificate examination in the 60s compulsorily needed to pass English Language – but not Mathematics – to be eligible for the certificate.

It also confirmed that the results were rightly classed in numbers and not alphabets, as being suggested by those questioning the veracity of Muhammadu Buhari’s statement of result released last week by his secondary school.

Buhari’s failure in mathematics was also a subject of intense discussions, his opponents arguing that a candidate who could not pass mathematics was intellectually incapable of governing the country.

Earlier on Thursday, Cambridge had confirmed that Hausa was one of the courses undertaken by students in the examination back in 1961, in response to claims that Hausa could not have been a subject back in 1961 because it was not offered until the 1970s.

“The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), now known as Cambridge Assessment, in response to requests to authenticate a candidate’s exam certificate, today said: “We can only confirm or verify results at the direct request of or with the permission of a candidate,” it said back then.

“This is in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 and section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.”

“The organisation also confirmed that according to the Regulations for 1961, African Language papers, including those for Hausa were set for the West African School Certificate.”

In its most recent update to that post, it stated: “Examination results were classed in grades by 1 to 9. 1,2,3,4,5 & 6 indicate a Pass with Credit; 7 & 8 indicate a Pass; 9 indicates a Failure.

“To pass the School Certificate, candidates had to pass examinations in a variety of groups. It was compulsory to pass English Language, but not Maths, in order to gain the Certificate.

“The number of candidates who sat for the WASC Hausa examination in 1961 was 152. Our records show that Hausa was set in the Northern Region in 1961.”