Today Wednesday 28 March, students are expected to write exams on Stenography 2 (essay), Stenography 1 (essay), Auto Electrical Works 2 (essay), Auto Electrical Works 1 (objective), Air Conditioning and Refrigeration 2 (essay), Air Conditioning and Refrigeration 1 (objective), Auto Body Repairs and Spray Painting 2 (essay), Auto Body Repairs and Spray Painting 1 (objective), Visual Art 2 (essay) and Visual Art 1 (objective).

The exams are schedule to continue on 3rd April with Chemistry 3 (Practical) (Alternative A), Chemistry 3 (Practical) (Alternative A), Music 2 (Essay), Music 1 (Objective), Auto Mechanics 2 (Essay) and Auto Mechanics 1 (Objective).

Unfortunately, this year’s examinations are faced with huge challenge from the electoral processes in Sierra Leone.

As a result of the haphazard way in which examination centres are set up across the country, lots of students have been forced to relocate from their respective constituencies where they registered to vote and settled in other constituencies where they have no voting right.

These are constituencies where the students examination centres are situated and it is obvious that those students would be disenfranchised as most of them, if not all, would prefer going for their exams instead of waiting in their constituencies to vote.

It can be recalled that the country held its general elections on March 7, 2018 and none of the sixteen political parties that went to the polls then were unable to pull the required 55% to win the elections.

A run-off was slated for 27th March but could not hold owing to a high court injunction. The run-off was rescheduled for Saturday 31st March, 2018. See page 7 of this edition for the complete 2018/19 WASSCE timetable.