AYV News, July 1, 2026
President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has accused the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) of being complicit in examination malpractice in Sierra Leone, saying he has evidence to support his claims and is prepared to challenge the examination body.
Speaking on the state of the country’s education sector at the Presidential Townhall in Makeni, President Bio expressed concern over what he described as widespread examination malpractice, warning that it poses a serious threat to the future of Sierra Leone’s education system.
President Bio said his government has invested heavily in the education sector through the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) programme, noting that more than Le2 billion has been spent to improve access to quality education.
“We’ve spent over 2 billion dollars on Free Quality Education, and I can take them up on that,” he said.
The President recounted what he described as the confession of a student who allegedly implicated teachers in examination malpractice, arguing that the problem extends beyond students to include some educators.
He lamented the decline in educational standards, recalling Sierra Leone’s historical reputation as a centre of academic excellence in Africa.
“We had a big name because of the education we were distributing to Africa,” he said, adding that those involved in examination malpractice are undermining the country’s proud educational legacy.
President Bio warned that continued cheating in public examinations would have long-term consequences for national development.
“We are destroying our next generation with this unpatriotic act,” he said. “We have a high IQ. We cannot be this lazy. We are killing ourselves with this bad act.”
The President called on all stakeholders, including education authorities, teachers, parents, students, and examination bodies, to work together to restore integrity, credibility, and excellence within Sierra Leone’s education system.
WAEC had not publicly responded to the President’s allegations at the time of publication. The newspaper will publish the Council’s response when it becomes available.
