The candidates’ weaknesses include:

(a) Inability to write extensively on the chosen essay titles. They wrote far below the required 300 words;

(b) Carelessness as regards the use of Modern Yoruba Orthography;

(c) Lack of in-depth knowledge of the recommended textbooks;

(d) Inability to use tone-marks correctly;

(e) Carelessness and lack of knowledge of punctuation marks;

(f) Illegible handwriting; (g) Inability to write good Yoruba and correct spellings of terms;

(h) Inability to approach argumentative essay properly. They did not balance their arguments;

(i) Inability to indicate the question numbers attempted and in some cases they were incorrectly written.

SUGGESTED REMEDIES

(1) Teachers should try to address all these identified weaknesses from the beginning of students’ course in secondary school.

(2) Parents and students should be encouraged to buy recommended textbooks and also, the need to thoroughly read the set texts should be emphasized.

(3) The use of Yoruba as a means of communication should be encouraged.

(4) Qualified and dedicated Yoruba teachers should be employed, in order to rescue abysmal failure of candidates in Yoruba.