Freetown, Sierra Leone – 20 August 2026 – The Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law – Sierra Leone (CARL-SL) has praised the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education for its rapid response to allegations that a private primary school in Freetown demanded and collected money from parents in exchange for releasing National Primary School Examination (NPSE) results.
In a press statement issued on 19 August 2026, CARL-SL noted a social media post by Minister Conrad Sackey addressing claims against Agape Primary School.
According to the minister, school authorities were summoned, any money collected for the release of results must be refunded, and parents should not pay to collect NPSE results.
CARL-SL strongly endorsed the minister’s remark: “Every Leone matter to a struggling family. Every child deserves a fair chance.”
The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of education in Sierra Leone, describing it as fundamental to the country’s future, particularly for children from underprivileged and deprived communities.
They warned that unauthorised financial demands place additional burdens on families already struggling to meet basic needs and can hinder children’s ability to progress in school.
While welcoming the ministry’s intervention, CARL-SL stressed that the fact Agape is a private school does not exempt it from government regulation.
The ministry retains responsibility for the control and supervision of basic and senior secondary education across government, government-assisted, and private schools under the applicable legal and policy framework. The organisation called for these responsibilities to be exercised consistently across all categories of schools.
With interviews for admission to Junior Secondary School (JSS) One now underway, CARL-SL urged the ministry to promptly communicate a reasonable fee and payment requirements for government and government-assisted schools nationwide.
The centre made clear that any unauthorised demand for money by a government or government-assisted school constitutes a potential pathway to corruption and must not be compromised. Where the facts show corruption, abuse of authority, fraud or other unlawful conduct, the appropriate authorities should investigate and act in accordance with the law, based on evidence and due process rather than sentiment.
CARL-SL encouraged parents to familiarise themselves with officially approved charges and to report any school demanding unauthorised payments outside the established framework, retaining evidence where possible.
The organisation said it intends to conduct strong and continuous monitoring of upcoming admission processes to ensure school authorities strictly comply with the ministry’s approved financial demands.
They further called on the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, the Teaching Service Commission, the Conference of Principals, the Sierra Leone Teachers Union, civil society organisations, the media and other relevant stakeholders to monitor the process and help prevent the payment of unauthorised charges by parents.
CARL-SL reiterated its commitment to promoting transparency, accountability and the rule of law in education so that no child is disadvantaged because of his or her financial status.
