By Saidu Jalloh, Reporter D.S
Sierra Leone’s government suffered a loss of approximately $875,500 in 2025 due to absenteeism and fraud linked to the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) entry process, according to Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey.
The government finances $25 per candidate to sit the exam, leading to total public exam costs nearing $1.4 million each year. In 2025, while 219,173 candidates were registered, 35,020 failed to appear for the examination, resulting in substantial financial losses. Sackey pointed out that, even assuming 2 percent of absentees had legitimate reasons, the bulk of these absences still represent wasted taxpayer funds.
The report also revealed alarming fraudulent practices among school administrators, including the registration of ineligible candidates and the creation of fictitious names. Such actions inflate governmental expenses and compromise accountability. Disciplinary actions have already been initiated, including suspensions for seven principals for two months without pay and for 60 others for an entire year due to extortion and failure to submit continuous assessment scores.
To address these issues, the Ministry has implemented new guidelines requiring school heads and proprietors to adhere to strict undertakings:
- Absenteeism must not exceed 2 percent of registered candidates, unless due to natural emergencies.
- All candidates must meet eligibility standards, including achieving a minimum of five credits in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), with either Mathematics or English.
- Duplicate registrations are strictly forbidden.
Failure to comply will result in repayment of exam fees and potential investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission under the 2019 Amendment Act. Parliamentarians have expressed their support for these measures, with Speaker Hon. Sengehpoh Solomon Thomas attributing the issue partly to teachers registering unqualified students for financial gain. Committee Chair Hon. Rugiatu Kamara stressed that signing these undertakings should be mandatory to safeguard public funds.
As exam costs continue to strain the education budget, the unchecked absenteeism and fraudulent registrations pose significant risks to both financial discipline and the integrity of the educational system. For policymakers, this issue extends beyond exam management; it is critical for protecting millions in public expenditure.
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