As Liberia marks the 10th anniversary of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended the 14-year civil war, nearly 25,000 school-leavers failed this year's admission test to the University of Liberia. It is the first
time that not a single candidate passed the admission test.

Liberia's president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel peace laureate, acknowledges that the education system in Liberia is “in a mess”. Public Domain photo from the US State Department.

The BBC has reported that Liberia's Education Minister Education Minister, Etmonia David-Tarpeh, found it hard to believe that not a single candidate passed. She therefore intends to meet university officials to discuss the matter. She describes the failure rate as “mass murder.”

However, a private consultant, James Dorbor Jallah, who was hired by the university to manage the entrance examination confirmed the report and said the days are over when students were admitted into the University of Liberia through bribery or based on how many important people they know.

The world has reacted on Twitter with shock and disbelief at the news.

This is how Kenyan Harvard Kennedy School Professor Calestous Juma (@calestous) described the news:

Worst #Africa news since #Congo‘s Leopold II: All #Liberia students fail college entry exam http://t.co/HkSlxDCbR8

— Calestous Juma (@calestous) August 26, 2013

King Leopold II of Belgium was the sole and de facto owner of the Congo Free State, the present day the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 1885 to 1908.

Saran Kaba Jones (@sarankjones), a clean water advocate and social entrepreneur, said it is sad but not surprising:

sad but not surprising >> #Liberia students all fail university admission exam. all 25k of them! >>http://t.co/9AJkvEelej

— Saran Kaba Jones (@sarankjones) August 26, 2013

Mbas Ndriver (@Kenfreykj), a Kenyan IT professional, wondered how not even a single person was smart enough to cheat:

How can a whole country fail exams?! No one in that country is even smart enough to cheat?!!! #Liberia

— Mbas Ndriver. (@Kenfreykj) August 27, 2013

Another Kenyan tweep, Eja Nla. (@Muntez_), said it should be illegal for all students to fail:

Looks like #Liberia knows no statistics. Its should be illegal for all students to fail an exam,. All the 25,000 of them? No ways.

— Eja Nla. (@Muntez_) August 27, 2013

Ebenezer Flomo (@ebflomo), the co-founder of non-profit Help Encourage Liberia's Little Ones (@helpHELLO), noted that schools in Liberia do not have books:

@lizgrossman87 See Liz, this is exactly why we @HelpHELLO are focusing on the area of education in #Liberia. Schools don't have books.

— Ebenezer Flomo (@ebflomo) August 27, 2013

Many schools in Liberia lack basic education material and many teachers are poorly qualified.

Tweeting from Russia, Denis Eyong (@eyongdenis) asked:

One country that can be called dumb, #Liberia. How can all students in the country fail university admission exams?! http://t.co/JdrASJmkUW

— Denis Eyong (@eyongdenis) August 27, 2013

“How does a country torn from civil war recover?,” Tomoko Perez (@Tomoshiga) in New York asked:

That last tweet about #Liberia. REALLY not funny. How does a country torn from civil war recover? How do you invest in and create value?

— Tomoko Perez (@Tomoshiga) August 27, 2013

Gambian journalist and human rights activist Sulayman Makalo (@MakaloMansa) shared a quote from a university official:

#Liberia: The students lacked enthusiasm and did not have a basic grasp of English, a university official told the BBC.

— Sulayman Makalo (@MakaloMansa) August 27, 2013

Nuesity! (@Nues_Ibunos) remarked:

This is sad. I hope Nigeria doesnt descend into this! #ASUU #Education #Nigeria #Liberia http://t.co/gq7ejsZdWv

— Nuesity! (@Nues_Ibunos) August 27, 2013

Ghanaian tweep Tenace Kwaku Setor (@kwakutii) cautioned his fellow citizens:

outcome of a political war, dear Ghanaians. All 25,000 students who sat for a CE exams into Uni failed. #liberia http://t.co/PtsvndysZd

— Tenace Kwaku Setor (@kwakutii) August 27, 2013

Referring to last year's poor performance in Tanzania, Rwandan tweep katabarwa robert (@Proud2bRwandan) wrote:

worse than Tanzania case: #Liberia students all fail university admission exam http://t.co/P7GZHon6Me

— katabarwa robert (@Proud2bRwandan) August 26, 2013

Six out of every 10 students who sat last year's National Form Four examination in Tanzania failed.

Mika Mäkeläinen (@Mikareport), a foreign news journalist at the Finnish Broadcasting Company, warned those who want to study at the University of Liberia:

Wanted to study at the University of #Liberia? Tough luck. 25,000 tried and they all failed the admission exam. http://t.co/eNIew0neno

— Mika Mäkeläinen (@Mikareport) August 26, 2013

Daniel McLaughlin (@DanielJMcLaugh) from the UK joked:

They won't have to worry much about this year's Fresher's Ball! #Liberia http://t.co/iA6AKZsP3s

— Daniel McLaughlin (@DanielJMcLaugh) August 27, 2013

A. K. Ohemeng-Boamah (@akobII) from Guinea blames the education system:

I blame the system not students. @MollyKinder: Wow – every student in #Liberia who took the university admission exam failed, says @BBCWorld

— A. K. Ohemeng-Boamah (@akobII) August 27, 2013