Every exam season in Sierra Leone comes with a quiet but familiar routine: pupils leaving home for “camping,” parents stretching finances to pay for it and teachers promising it could make the difference between passing and failing. For many families, it has felt less like a choice and more like a necessity.

Known as “camping,” the practice has long been framed as a last-mile academic rescue: intensive, off-site study sessions designed to prepare pupils for high-stakes exams. But beneath that narrative, education authorities say, a more troubling reality has taken root one that threatens fairness, distorts learning and erodes trust in Sierra Leone’s education system.
Now, that reality is being confronted.

In a rare show of unity, education stakeholders in Freetown have issued a joint public notice banning the practice outright, signaling a decisive shift from tolerance to enforcement.

Among those backing the directive are the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), the Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU), the Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (CPSS), the National Council of Head Teachers (NaCoHT), the National Union of Private Schools (NUPS) and the Association of Independent Schools (AIS).

The decision did not emerge in isolation. It is rooted in years of mounting concern within the education sector. At the center of the issue is the growing perception that “camping” is no longer just about revision but has evolved into a parallel, profit-driven system operating alongside formal schooling.

For parents like Mariama Kamara in the east end of Freetown, the pressure has been difficult to escape. “They told me if my son doesn’t go for camping, he will not pass,” she said. “The money is not easy, but you feel forced because you don’t want your child to fail.”

Pupils, too, have felt the strain. One senior secondary pupil described spending long nights in crowded study rooms, often far from home. “You are tired, but you cannot complain. Everyone believes this is the only way to succeed,” he said.

Investigations and sector observations have pointed to patterns where teaching during regular school hours is sometimes deliberately diluted, pushing pupils toward paid extra lessons. Parents face financial pressure to enroll their children in camps, regardless of affordability, while pupils are led to believe that success in examinations depends less on classroom learning and more on access to these informal systems. In some instances, authorities have raised concerns that such environments create opportunities for exam malpractice syndicates, further undermining the credibility of national assessments.

Long before the latest directive, Sierra Leone’s education policies had begun to draw a line. The Education Sector Plan (2022–2026) identifies exam malpractice, weak accountability and inequitable learning conditions as major threats to the system, calling for stronger oversight and a renewed focus on delivering quality education within the classroom. Earlier reforms also emphasized restoring public confidence in national examinations, warning that unchecked practices could widen inequality between pupils and weaken the value of academic certificates.

For some teachers, the system has also created moral tension. A secondary school teacher, speaking anonymously, admitted that the line between helping pupils and feeding a system of dependency has become blurred. “If others are doing it and getting results, there is pressure on you to do the same. But deep down, you know it is not right,” the teacher said.

Against this backdrop, “camping” increasingly came to be seen not as a solution, but as part of the problem. Pupils who cannot afford it are placed at a disadvantage, creating a system where success may depend more on financial means than merit. Schools and teachers may become incentivized to prioritize paid sessions over regular teaching, while extended hours and off-site arrangements expose pupils to stress, burnout and potential safety risks. When exam preparation moves into informal spaces, regulation becomes difficult, increasing the risk of malpractice and weakening oversight.

It is against this backdrop that the joint directive was issued. The notice prohibits schools from organizing or facilitating camping, advises parents not to allow their children to participate and bans extra classes conducted outside school premises. Authorities warn that violations will attract strict sanctions, including withdrawal of examination centre status, disciplinary action against school heads, possible closure of institutions and referral for further action.

For education officials, the move is not simply about stopping a practice, it is about resetting the system. By bringing all learning back into regulated school environments, the Ministry and its partners aim to reinforce the role of schools as the primary centres of education, ensure that teaching quality is delivered during official hours, protect pupils from exploitation and undue pressure and restore integrity and public trust in examinations.

Ending a deeply entrenched practice will not be easy. But for parents like Mariama, the directive offers a sense of relief. “If they stop it for everyone, then at least it will be fair,” she said.

For many across the country; hope, fairness, integrity and a system that works for all pupils may ultimately be what defines the success of this crackdown.