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More than 200 candidates sitting the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from several communities in Samu Chiefdom, Kambia District, were forced to undertake a dangerous boat journey across the Great Scarcies River on Friday in order to sit their Chemistry practical examination in Mambolo.
The students reportedly traveled from Kassarie to Mambolo under difficult and hazardous conditions due to the absence of a functional science laboratory center within their locality.
According to reports, the candidates were transported in overcrowded boats amid rough weather conditions, raising serious safety concerns among parents, teachers, and community stakeholders. Many described the situation as both risky and unacceptable, especially for students pursuing their education under already challenging circumstances.
Residents said the lack of accessible science laboratory facilities in remote communities continues to place an unfair burden on students, forcing them to travel long distances and, in some cases, expose themselves to life-threatening dangers just to participate in national examinations.
Parents and community leaders have called on educational authorities and the Government of Sierra Leone to urgently address the infrastructure gap by establishing and equipping science laboratory centers in underserved areas.
They stressed that no student should have to risk their life in pursuit of education, emphasizing the need for equitable access to safe and quality learning facilities across the country.
The incident has once again highlighted the challenges facing students in remote communities and renewed calls for increased investment in educational infrastructure, particularly in rural Sierra Leone.
