By Sulaiman Jalloh
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), Conrad Sackey, faced intense parliamentary scrutiny on Thursday, May 8, 2025, over widespread irregularities surrounding the ongoing West African senior school certificate examination (WASSCE).
The controversy centers on the omission of over 100,000 students who were expected to sit the exams, during a heated session in Parliament; Speaker Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas sharply criticized the ministry for alleged internal mismanagement and its failure to uphold the integrity of the education system.
Minister Sackey was summoned under Section 107 of the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone to answer questions related to alleged administrative misconduct and systemic failures within his ministry.
Speaker Thomas expressed deep concern over reports implicating dishonest school administrators, second-year students being registered for the exams prematurely, and corrupt practices among ministry officials, so many of them in your Ministry own schools. They are the ones upgrading these schools. They are the ones creating the problem, he stated.
Drawing from his own background as a teacher, the Speaker acknowledged that such challenges are not new but have worsened under weak leadership.
I was a teacher myself. Teachers are conducting admissions without the knowledge of principals or the Ministry, we are not in this job to make friends. Sometimes, those closest to you are the ones undermining your leadership.
Responding to the concerns, minister Sackey presented data showing that out of nearly 1,000 schools nationwide, 892 met the Ministry’s registration deadline for WASSCE entries, while 82 failed to comply, he revealed that many schools submitted names of students who were not academically eligible and, in some cases, used fraudulent Basic education certificate examination (BECE) results.
A candidate who sat the BECE in 2020 should have been in SSS1 by 2021, yet some of these students were submitted to take WASSCE in 2025, which is not correct, he said.
Sackey cited examples of malpractice, including several schools in Freetown, and backed his claims with statistical evidence, he warned that a significant number of institutions were deliberately undermining the process to include ineligible candidates.
Opposition Whip Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara condemned the situation, stressing that it has deeply discouraged students and parents. He questioned whether school administrators have any confidence in the Ministry’s leadership, however, education committee chairman Hon. Alpha Fode Madie Jabbie defended the Ministry, challenging critics to provide concrete evidence of negligence or malpractice.
Deputy opposition leader Hon. Daniel Brima Koroma called for proactive government measures to protect students’ interests, emphasizing that the crisis reflects deeper administrative shortcomings, acting Leader of government Business Hon. Bashiru Silikie reaffirmed the government’s commitment to educational reform and urged the Minister to provide immediate solutions for students who were unable to register through the official portal.
In his closing remarks, Minister Sackey acknowledged the gravity of the issues raised and emphasized the need for urgent and systemic reforms, he proposed the introduction of a unique learner identity system to enhance student tracking and accountability, additionally, he announced that the ministry would cover private WASSCE registration costs for students who were unfairly excluded and said future legislation would be proposed to address recurring problems in the sector.
The minister’s appearance in Parliament follows mounting pressure from civil society, education stakeholders, and the general public demanding transparency, accountability, and structural reform within the ministry of Basic and senior secondary education.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Friday, May 12th, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)