By Ibrahim Sesay
The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) has reaffirmed Government’s unwavering commitment to fully fund the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for all genuine and eligible pupils across the country, emphasizing that there is no cap on the number of beneficiaries under the programme.
Addressing Parliament, the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, clarified concerns surrounding the ongoing verification exercise, stating that the initiative is aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the free WASSCE policy rather than restricting access for deserving candidates.
According to figures presented by the Ministry, a total of 219,171 candidates were initially uploaded for the 2026 WASSCE. However, following a nationwide verification process, only 163,997 candidates were validated and cleared to benefit from Government sponsorship. The remaining 55,174 entries were found to have issues ranging from duplicate registrations to fake Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) records, as well as failure to meet the minimum entry requirements for senior secondary school.
The Minister explained that the discrepancies uncovered during the verification exercise necessitated urgent corrective measures to protect public funds and ensure fairness within the education system. He noted that Government pays examination fees upfront for each registered candidate, making it essential to eliminate irregularities before payments are finalized.
“To maintain credibility and accountability, we must ensure that only qualified and legitimate pupils benefit from this important intervention,” the Minister stated, reiterating that Government remains committed to supporting every eligible pupil who meets the approved academic criteria.
As part of the reforms, the Ministry has introduced a formal undertaking for school heads and proprietors. Under the new requirement, Principals must certify that each candidate presented for WASSCE sponsorship satisfies the stipulated BECE entry standards and that no duplicate or fraudulent registrations are submitted. School authorities will be held accountable for the authenticity of the data they provide.
Education officials maintain that the measure is not designed to reduce the number of candidates but to strengthen oversight and eliminate abuse within the system. They argue that the verification process promotes transparency and reinforces the credibility of the free WASSCE programme, which remains a cornerstone of Government’s education agenda.
The Ministry further disclosed that the exercise is expected to save the state approximately USD 1.37 million in examination fees that would otherwise have been paid for invalid or unqualified entries. Authorities say the recovered funds can now be redirected toward improving teaching and learning conditions nationwide, including the provision of learning materials, teacher support initiatives and school infrastructure development.
Stakeholders in the education sector have welcomed the clarification, noting that while access to examination opportunities must be protected, accountability and quality assurance are equally critical in sustaining public confidence in the system.
The Government continues to stress that its Free Quality School Education (FQSE) initiative remains firmly on course, with the funding of WASSCE fees forming a key pillar of efforts to expand access to education and ease the financial burden on families.
The Ministry assured parents, pupils and school authorities that all legitimate candidates will continue to receive full Government support, reiterating that the reforms are intended solely to preserve fairness, integrity and prudent management of public resources within Sierra Leone’s education sector.
