AYV News, February 7, 2025
In Sierra Leone, 178,823 pupils have successfully registered for this year’s National Primary Schools Examination (NPSE), Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West Africa Senior Schools Certificate Examination (WASSCE) respectively.
The country’s Ministry of Education reported that 95,080 pupils from 3069 schools (46193 males and 48887 females) have registered for the NPSE; 28,913 pupils from 542 schools (14229 males and 14684 females) entered for BECE and 54,830 pupils from 361 schools (24031 males and 30799 females) registered for WASSCE.
Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education,Conrad Sackey has appealed to parents, board of governors and Members of Parliament to put pressure on school authorities to register their pupils for the West Africa Senior Schools Certificate Examination entry, as Friday 7th February was deadline for the ministry and 15th February, for the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC).
Minister Sackey highlighted the government’s efforts to support students who were unable to take the WASSCE in previous years. He noted that in the past, these students were allowed to take the exam through private centers, with financial assistance from the government.
He emphasised that a new system is now in place, requiring students to have their Continuous Assessment Scores (CAS) uploaded as part of their final grade.
Unlike previous years when CAS was submitted only after the exams, the updated process ensures that CAS contributes 30% of the final grade before students are allowed to sit for WASSCE.
However, Sackey revealed that 880 schools failed to meet the deadline for submitting their CAS 2 grades, leaving 12 schools unable to upload their students’ scores on time. He warned that schools failing to upload CAS grades will face serious penalties.
Government schools that fail to comply will be subject to a six-month suspension without salary, while private schools risk losing their licenses if they fail to employ qualified staff.
The Minister commended stakeholders in Bombali for their support during Education Week and encouraged continued collaboration to improve education standards and ensure student success.
