A 45-year-old woman was discovered taking the government-sponsored West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at UMC School in Goderich, Freetown.
This incident was confirmed by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists’ iVerify platform, which verified the claim as true.
The discovery was made by Deputy Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Madam Mamusu Patricia Massaquoi, during an unannounced visit to the examination center.
A video circulating on social media shows the Deputy Minister interacting with the woman, who was dressed in white, during the examination.
In Sierra Leone, the government-sponsored WASSCE is fully funded by the state for students enrolled in government or government-assisted schools. Individuals who are no longer part of the formal school system typically take the Private WASSCE, which is self-sponsored. The circumstances leading to the woman’s participation in the government-sponsored examination remain unclear.
The incident has sparked discussions on social media, with some users defending the woman’s actions as a pursuit of personal empowerment and education, while others question the appropriateness of her participation in the government-sponsored exam.
As of now, authorities have not released further details regarding the situation.
