AYV News, September, 12, 2024

The Civil Rights Coalition, in partnership with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education is conducting an intense District Engagements on Continuous Assessment Score (CASS) and other Polices across the sixteen districts of the country.

National Coordinator, Civil Rights Coalition, Alphonso Manley said the CASS and other Polices outreach aims to sensitise citizens and keep them abreast on the importance of the Continuous Assessment Scores.

Mr. Manley advised parents to monitor their children’s performances and ensure they passed the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) before being allowed to proceed to the next level.

He said: “The issue of CASS is a very serious issue and we want families and communities to understand how it works. According to the MBSSE Act Section 31 Sub-Section 2, it is compulsory for people writing the WASSCE to have a 30% score from their Continuous Assessment. If you have not passed the BECE and you are now in SSS 3, it will be very unfortunate, you cannot write the WASSCE because you must have passed the BECE”.

Mr. Manley went on that the ministry is currently doing BECE check, which has had scrutinised about 176,000 candidates with only 81,000 verified. He said most of the schools have made mistakes in their exams submission forms, adding; “if your name was Mohammed Koroma when you write the BECE and when they submit your name now for the WASSCE, it is Mohammed M. Koroma the system will not accept it. Therefore, the ministry will send it back to schools to do some adjustments”.

Mr. Manley went on; “without your continuous assessment scores you cannot write the WASSCE and this is the message we are taking to the public. Secondly, the ministry has abolished the Repeaters’ Policy, students now have just one chance to write the WASSCE, which is being paid by the Government of Sierra Leone. If you do not have your complete subjects to go to the University, you will have to write the private WASSCE”.

The new 2023 Education Act introduces a range of reforms designed to strengthen the country’s education system. Notably, it includes the implementation of a unique identification number for students, enabling the government to monitor individual progress and ensure inclusive education for all.