1 Comment 
The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education has intensified its crackdown on schools allegedly demanding payments from parents before releasing students’ report cards and examination results.
The move follows reports that some parents were being asked to pay money before collecting their children’s National Primary School Examination (NPSE) results.
In response, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Conrad Sackey personally visited Agape School in the Shack-ridden Hills community of Dwazark, Freetown, accompanied by the Chief Education Officer and the Free Quality School Education Coordinator, to establish the facts surrounding the allegations.
The Ministry’s delegation, however, found the school closed upon arrival. The team subsequently met with one of the teachers and left a message inviting the Headteacher to report to the Ministry for further investigation.
The visit forms part of the Ministry’s enforcement of a warning issued on July 28, 2026, reminding schools, teachers and other school officials that they are not authorised to demand payment for students’ report cards or examination results.
Minister Sackey said the Ministry would not allow anyone to place a price on a child’s right to access their academic results, stressing that the Free Quality School Education programme is designed to remove financial barriers to education.
The Ministry has urged parents and guardians who are asked to make payments before receiving their children’s results or report cards to request an official receipt and report the matter via its toll-free line at 8060.
Those who have already made such payments have also been encouraged to come forward with evidence to assist the Ministry’s investigations.
The Ministry said it would investigate reported cases, take appropriate action where violations are established, and continue efforts to ensure that children can access their educational results without illegal financial barriers.
But Mr Minister, you are receiving commission from Africell SL from selling starch cards to the parents, that is why up till now, you have not allow them to access their children NPSE results by using SMS 468.
Again, have you paid subsidy to them?
How do you even expect those people to prepare reports cards? When you are yet to fulfill your own responsibilities.
It’s your right to command those heads of schools not to take a dying from any parent for collecting their children’s results. But again you don’t need to forget your responsibilities as well.