The Chief Education Officer of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Yatta Kanu has written to the Sierra Leone Teachers Union, Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools and National Council of Head Teachers expressing concerns about teachers marking the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) papers and their subsequent involvement in the voter registration process.

“I write to refer you to the above subject and to inform you that teachers, who are involved in marking examination papers of the just concluded BECE, are encouraged to continue cooperating so that results will be published at the agreed lime to allow the children start classes,” the letter reads.

The ministry solicits full cooperation in ensuring that teachers comply with their mandate to be present in schools and teach, adding that no teacher should absent him/herself from school or to be involved in the voter registration process.

The ministry said some schools have been identified by the National Elections Commission to be used as registration centres and in light of that, the Ministry informed all school authorities to provide the space for the registration and to also ensure classes are not disrupted.