By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Deputy Minister II of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), Mamusu Patricia Massaquoi, expressed concern during a Press Conference at the Ministry’s Conference Room in New England Ville on Monday, 23rd September 2024,. The focus was the slow progress in uploading Continuous Assessment Scores (CASS) for Year One Senior Secondary School (SSS1) pupils, who are the current candidates for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
She stressed that completing the CASS upload is essential for students to be eligible for the 2025 Government WASSCE. “Principals are urged to ensure that only vetted and approved candidates are uploaded into the WAEC portal by the 30th September 2024 deadline,” she stated. “Failure to do so will result in severe consequences, including potential sanctions for schools that submit unapproved candidates.”
The Deputy Minister also reminded Principals to generate CASS reports from the WAEC portal and submit them to the Ministry for verification adding that any school that fails to comply or uploads unapproved candidates will have their records forwarded to WAEC, resulting in the removal of those students’ CASS entries.
Mamusu Patricia Massaquoi expressed frustration at the lack of compliance, stating that despite expecting 86,000 pupils to sit for the exams; only 60 out of 700 schools have so far fulfilled this critical requirement underscoring how that the lack of compliance from school Principals is unacceptable.
She reiterated that its “No BECE, No WASSCE” policy, ensuring that only pupils who have passed the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) are eligible to sit for the WASSCE. “Schools that fail to submit continuous assessment scores risk preventing their pupils from taking the exams, endangering their futures,” she emphasized.
The Deputy Minister concluded by issuing a stern warning to schools, stressing that any institution found guilty of manipulating the system will face serious consequences. “We owe it to our children to ensure a fair and just system,” she asserted. “Any institution undermining this process will not go unpunished.”
For schools experiencing technical challenges with the upload process, the Ministry has encouraged Principals to report these issues promptly for assistance, she concluded.
The MBSSE continues to emphasize the importance of meeting the 30th September deadline, warning that failure to comply will have repercussions for the schools involved.
