Sierra Leone Parliament summons Education Minister over WASSCE results

The Parliamentary Committee on Basic and Senior Secondary Education has summoned Minister Conrad Sackey to address concerns regarding the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). The summons follows reports that 47,454 candidates, including 26,735 females and 20,719 males, had their results withheld due to suspected examination malpractice.

Official data indicates a significant increase in withheld results compared to 13,237 in 2025. The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) attributed this rise to stricter monitoring. Suspected irregularities include social media-related offenses, collusion, and the use of mobile phones.

In addition to the withheld results, the examination performance showed a high failure rate in English Language, where 63.33 per cent of candidates failed and only 9.77 per cent obtained credit grades. In contrast, mathematics saw a higher success rate, with 62.15 per cent of candidates achieving a credit or higher.