MBSSE Enforces Strict Reforms: Criminalizing Early Exam Entries for NPSE, BECE, and WASSCE to Combat Corruption in Sierra Leone’s Education System

The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) of Sierra Leone has announced significant reforms to the process of student examination admissions, with stricter rules and regulations now in place to ensure fairness and objectivity in school admissions.

Among these new directives, it is now a criminal offense for Class 4 and 5 pupils to sit for the National Primary School Examination (NPSE), as well as for Junior Secondary School (JSS) 1 and 2 pupils to attempt the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Similarly, Senior Secondary School (SSS) 2 students are prohibited from taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

According to the guidelines, students who fail to meet the Ministry’s stipulated requirements, such as the required level of schooling or continuous assessment scores, will be barred from entering these examinations. These new regulations aim to curb the corrupt practices that have previously undermined the integrity of the examination system, ensuring that only students who are adequately prepared are allowed to advance in their educational journey.

School heads who violate these rules by registering ineligible students for any of the aforementioned exams will be held liable for disciplinary measures, which could include sanctions from the MBSSE and possibly actions by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) or the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The Ministry also highlights that punitive measures will be enforced not only on schools but also on the candidates and their parents or guardians, with potential penalties ranging from cancellation of examination results to a ban on the school from entering candidates for exams for a number of years