Freetown, 5th November, 2026 – Sierra Leone’s Parliament has banned all sign-out celebrations in schools and universities across the country.
The motion was moved by the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Bashiru Silikie, who expressed growing concerns over the activities and their implications for the education sector. The motion was seconded by Minority Whip, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, who clarified that sign-out activities are organised by individual students rather than by educational institutions themselves.
Under the resolution, all forms of sign-out celebrations, including writing on white T-shirts, parades, loud music and processions after final examinations, are prohibited in schools, colleges and universities nationwide.
The resolution underscores Parliament’s commitment to protecting examination integrity, promoting responsible student conduct and ensuring a safe and disciplined learning environment across Sierra Leone.
Sign-out, also known as signing-out, is a self-styled celebration by final-year students after completing their last examination. It was borrowed from practices in Ghana and Nigeria, where students wear white shirts for colleagues to sign, and is not part of any official school or university curriculum.
In recent years, the practice has grown across Sierra Leone, with large crowds, brass bands, and convoys often blocking traffic and disrupting classes for continuing students. Lecturers at Fourah Bay College have previously said the activity is not recognised by the university administration.
Concerns raised by lawmakers and educators include disruption of academic activities and ongoing examinations, safety risks from rowdy celebrations, financial pressure on students to buy new clothes and organise parties, and the false impression that signing a shirt equates to graduation, even for students who are yet to submit dissertations or meet graduation requirements.
Before the national ban, some institutions had taken independent action. The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) at Connaught Hospital was among the first to ban all signing-out activities on its campus.
Similar bans have been imposed in universities in Nigeria and other West African countries, where management cited indiscipline, extortion, and disruption to academic order.
Parliament has called on the Ministries of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and Technical and Higher Education to enforce the ban and to work with school heads and university administrations to apply appropriate disciplinary measures against violators.
