Freetown, Sierra Leone – The Government of Sierra Leone is losing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually due to absenteeism and fraudulent practices in the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) registration process, according to figures presented in Parliament by the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey.
Addressing lawmakers, Minister Sackey disclosed that the government pays $25 for each candidate to sit the WASSCE, bringing total public spending on the examination to nearly $1.4 million every year. In 2025 alone, 219,173 candidates were registered for the exams. However, 35,020 candidates did not show up, resulting in an estimated loss of about $875,500.
The Minister noted that while a small percentage of absenteeism may be justified, the majority represents avoidable waste and a significant strain on the national budget.
He further revealed widespread irregularities involving some school heads, including the registration of ineligible candidates and even the submission of fictitious names. These practices, he said, artificially inflate government expenditure and weaken accountability in the education sector.
As part of disciplinary actions, seven principals have been suspended without pay for two months, while 60 others received one-year suspensions over offences including extortion and failure to upload continuous assessment scores.
To address the problem, the Ministry has introduced strict measures requiring school heads and proprietors to sign binding undertakings. Under the new rules, absenteeism must not exceed 2 percent except in cases of emergencies. All registered candidates must meet eligibility requirements, including obtaining five credits in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), with a pass in either Mathematics or English. Duplicate registrations are also prohibited.
Non-compliance will attract penalties, including repayment of examination fees, contract termination, and possible investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission under the 2019 Amendment Act.
Parliamentarians welcomed the reforms. Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Sengehpoh Solomon Thomas, criticized teachers who register unqualified candidates to collect fees, while Committee Chair Hon. Rugiatu Kamara emphasized that signing the undertakings should be mandatory to safeguard public funds.
With examination costs already placing pressure on the education budget, lawmakers warned that unchecked absenteeism and fraudulent registrations could further undermine both fiscal discipline and the credibility of the country’s education system.
