By: Aminata Sesay
Parliament was thrown into heated debate on Tuesday as Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, Opposition Whip and Member of Parliament, raised alarm over the exclusion of more than 100,000 pupils from the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), citing systemic failures within the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Speaking passionately during the session, Hon. Kamara claimed that outdated candidate records had been used for exam registration, leaving thousands of eligible pupils stranded at exam centers across the country. He alleged that some students were even harassed by police when they attempted to sit for the exam.
“I have raised this issue in this House for three consecutive years,” he said. “This year again, more than 100,000 pupils were omitted because data from year one was used, without accounting for those who had changed schools or passed away. Yet no updated list was utilized.”
Hon. Kamara criticized the government’s repeated failures to address the problem and warned of long-term consequences. “These are our future leaders. If we continue to ignore these sensitive issues, we risk eroding the people’s trust in us,” he cautioned.
Calling the situation “pure negligence,” he demanded that the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education be summoned to Parliament to provide a full explanation and take responsibility.
In response, Hon. Mohamed Jabbie, Chairman of the Parliamentary Education Committee, acknowledged the issue but claimed that it had already been addressed by both WAEC and the Ministry. He attributed the problem to the widespread use of falsified Basic Record Sheets (BRS) by some school administrators.
“If a BRS is genuine, the student’s name will appear on the final list submitted by MBSSE to WAEC,” Jabbie said. “These lists are posted at exam centers. Students with valid documentation should present them to the proper authorities.”
However, Kamara dismissed Jabbie’s explanation as out of touch, accusing him of relying solely on media reports. “You’re quoting what they said on the radio. You didn’t go to the field. We’re dealing with the lives of real students, not hearsay,” he argued.
The Speaker of Parliament sided with Kamara, ruling that the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education must appear before the House on the next sitting date to respond to the allegations and clarify the Ministry’s actions.
This controversy underscores deepening concerns within Sierra Leone’s education system, particularly regarding data management, administrative oversight, and the protection of student rights during critical national examinations.