Sierra Leone Parliament Takes Action on Ongoing WAEC Crisis

The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Basic and Senior Secondary Education is taking decisive action in response to ongoing issues with the WAEC Portal and CASS entries that have affected numerous students in Sierra Leone.

This crisis, which began in February 2024, has seen the committee actively engaging with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), WAEC, and school heads to find solutions.

Hon. Alpha Fodie Madie Jabbie, Chairman of the Committee, emphasized the urgency of the situation.

“Since the problem surfaced, we have been in constant dialogue with all stakeholders to address this issue and find a resolution,” he stated.

Efforts to reopen the CASS-1 Portal after its initial closure in July 2023 were extensive. According to the Committee, the MBSSE managed to get WAEC to reopen the portal three times. However, further attempts in March and early April were unsuccessful. WAEC cited a pattern of late entries by Sierra Leone over the years, with a final rejection from WAEC International stating, “Enough is enough.”

In response, the Committee is now focused on a contingency plan, dubbed Plan-B, for genuine candidates left out of the May/June examination. This plan involves accommodating these students in the November/December WAEC Examination Series.

“We are working tirelessly to ensure that these students can take their exams without additional costs to their families,” Hon. Jabbie assured.

WAEC data shows that 146,179 candidates from 816 schools have been registered for the May/June 2024 WASSCE Examinations. However, the exact number of legitimate candidates left out is still undetermined due to discrepancies and irregularities in the submitted lists, including fake BECE results, double WAEC codes, and entries from unverified schools.

Hon. Jabbie called for public patience as the MBSSE continues to verify the lists.

“We urge all well-meaning Sierra Leoneans to disregard speculative numbers circulating in the media and await the official count of genuine candidates,” he said.

Severe penalties are promised for any school heads or officials involved in fraudulent activities that have caused stress and potentially tarnished the image of the government’s Free Quality Education Programme.

The Committee remains committed to ensuring that all affected students receive the opportunity to sit for their exams and continue their education.