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President Julius Maada Bio has accused the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) of being involved in examination malpractice in Sierra Leone, saying his government has evidence to support the allegation and is prepared to challenge the examination body.
The President made the statement during a Presidential Townhall meeting in Makeni, where he discussed the state of the country’s education sector and raised concerns over what he described as widespread examination malpractice.
President Bio said examination malpractice threatens the future of Sierra Leone’s education system and undermines efforts made by his administration to improve access to quality education through the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) programme.
He said the government has invested significant resources in the education sector, adding that more than Le2 billion has been spent on the Free Quality Education initiative.
“We’ve spent over Le2 billion on Free Quality Education, and I can take them up on that,” President Bio said.
The President also referred to a case involving a student who allegedly admitted to examination malpractice and implicated some teachers, arguing that the problem goes beyond students and involves other actors within the education system.
He expressed concern over the decline in academic standards, recalling Sierra Leone’s historical reputation as a leading centre of education in Africa.
“We had a big name because of the education we were distributing to Africa,” he said, warning that those involved in examination malpractice are damaging the country’s educational reputation.
President Bio said continued cheating in public examinations could have serious consequences for national development, urging education stakeholders to work together to restore integrity and credibility in the sector.
He called on teachers, parents, students, education authorities, and examination bodies to support efforts aimed at improving standards and ensuring fairness in examinations.
At the time of publication, WAEC had not issued a public response to the President’s allegations. Any response from the examination body will be included when available.
