On May 8, 2025, Sierra Leone’s Parliament summoned the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education, Conrad Sackey, to address the mass disqualification of students from the ongoing 2025 West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE)—a development that has sparked significant public concern and scrutiny.
Parliament stated that the summons was issued in accordance with Section 107 and paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection 2 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.
Addressing Members of Parliament, Minister Sackey described the issue as a serious threat to the integrity and quality assurance of the education system. He emphasized that his ministry has been working tirelessly to address the crisis. The Minister explained that the WASSCE is a public and internationally coordinated examination, and although Sierra Leone maintains some flexibility in submitting candidate lists, the process remains governed by regulations set by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
He explained that no member country determines when the portal will be closed, adding that several appeals were made to WAEC for consideration on late submissions, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Minister Sackey revealed that while schools were instructed to upload student data in line with WAEC’s requirements, some institutions deliberately failed to comply. He noted that certain schools submitted names of unqualified students and included candidates who did not possess the requisite credentials. He further disclosed that a large number of students used BECE results that did not belong to them, leading to their disqualification from the WASSCE.
Out of the total number of schools expected to comply with the directives, 892 submitted their entries on time, while 82 schools failed to meet the deadline, resulting in the exclusion of many students. Minister Sackey presented data to Parliament, backing his assertions with evidence and naming schools involved in malpractice, particularly in Freetown.
“A candidate who sat to BECE in 2020 should be in SSS 1 in 2021, but some of these pupils were submitted for entries to take the WASSCE exams for 2025, which was incorrect,” he stated.
To address the matter, the Minister announced that the Ministry has engaged WAEC in discussions to reopen the online registration portal. Additionally, efforts have been made to engage the High Commissioners of The Gambia and Nigeria to seek regional support on behalf of affected Sierra Leonean candidates.
Offering a measure of relief, Minister Sackey said the government has committed to funding private WASSCE exams for those students who were eligible but left out of the current examination cycle. He emphasized, however, that this support will be limited to genuinely qualified candidates. He pointed out that school principals had been given adequate time and instructions to submit entries, but some chose to ignore the directives, submitting false or incomplete data instead.
During the parliamentary debate, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara described the situation as discouraging and deeply frustrating for parents. He criticized school principals for their failure to coordinate with the Ministry and meet deadlines.
Hon. Alpha Fode Madie Jabbie, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Basic and Senior Secondary Education, defended the Ministry’s position and challenged critics to present evidence. He stated that many of the submitted student records were fraudulent and blamed school administrators for non-compliance.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition 1, Hon. Daniel Koroma, called for increased government intervention, stating that the crisis is the result of failures on the part of the schools, WAEC, and the Ministry. He said students and parents are suffering due to administrative lapses and called on Parliament to act decisively.
Acting Leader of Government Business, Hon. Bashiru Silikie, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making education accessible and equitable. He urged the Minister to propose clear solutions for students who missed the registration due to the portal closure.
In his closing remarks, Minister Sackey reiterated the gravity of the situation and emphasized the need for systemic reform. The minister also mentioned that until Sierra Leone decides to take action against perpetrators of examination malpractices, it could not move forward as a nation. He called for the establishment of a unique learner identity system and announced that the government, through his Ministry, will pay for the private WASSCE for eligible candidates.
The Minister added that the Ministry will begin gazetting approved schools to improve oversight and accountability. He revealed that a new Bill is being drafted to address the challenges facing the education sector and appealed for the support of Parliament to ensure its passage. He assured lawmakers that the Ministry is committed to resolving the issues undermining the country’s education system.
