By Mariama Benovia Davies
The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Hon. Conrad Sackey, has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to protecting the integrity of Sierra Leone’s education system, particularly in the fight against examination malpractice. He made the statement during a Special Edition Civic Town Hall held on Wednesday, 26 August 2026, at the Miatta Civic Centre in Freetown, on the theme “How Do We Address the Threats to Quality Education in Sierra Leone?” The town hall was hosted by the Minister of Information and Civic Education, Hon. Chernor Bah.
Minister Sackey began by providing context on the recently released National Primary School Examination (NPSE) results, explaining that more than 160,000, approximately 161,000, candidates sat the examination, with a pass rate of 78.2 percent. He congratulated the pupils who performed well and commended teachers for their contribution to the achievement, stressing that despite existing challenges, the overall performance demonstrated that the education system was making significant progress.
He clarified that the decision to set aside 1,927 results should not be interpreted as meaning that all the affected pupils were involved in examination malpractice. According to the Minister, approximately 1,640 of the set aside results were linked to schools that had failed to submit the required continuous assessment cards. He explained that the decision was taken partly to protect pupils whose continuous assessment scores could significantly affect their overall results and their chances of gaining admission to competitive Grade A schools.
Minister Sackey further disclosed that cases involving alleged examination malpractice represented only about 0.2 percent of the candidates who sat the NPSE. He therefore urged the public to understand the figures correctly rather than assuming that the entire 1,927 set aside results were connected to cheating. He noted that more than 5,000 pupils scored 300 and above, describing the overall examination performance as encouraging while acknowledging the need to address the malpractice cases firmly.
The Minister outlined several measures being introduced to strengthen the education system and combat malpractice. He revealed that Government was working on a new White Paper, noting that the previous one dated back to 1984. The new policy framework, he said, would provide stronger measures and criminalise certain practices that undermine the integrity of education. He also highlighted plans for civic education and public awareness campaigns, emphasising that examination malpractice was not solely the responsibility of pupils, as it involved a wider network of demand and supply, including parents, teachers and other actors.
Another major area highlighted was the use of technology to strengthen examination management and detect irregularities. Minister Sackey explained that digital systems could analyse more than 300,000 pieces of data to identify duplication and other suspicious patterns. He said the Ministry was introducing additional digital platforms as part of its continuing efforts to improve the administration, monitoring and credibility of examinations.
The Minister also stressed that punitive measures would be applied where sufficient evidence established wrongdoing. He disclosed that 58 principals had previously been suspended for one year without pay over examination-related offences, while other cases remained under investigation and consideration. He also explained that the involvement of the military during the NPSE was intended primarily to protect examination materials and maintain the integrity of the process, rather than to intimidate pupils.
In concluding, Hon. Conrad Sackey called for a collective national effort involving Government, teachers, parents, pupils, civil society, the media and other stakeholders to protect the credibility of Sierra Leone’s education system. He emphasised that maintaining examination integrity was essential to ensuring that pupils were assessed fairly and that the qualifications they eventually earned reflected genuine knowledge and competence. The discussion formed part of the broader Special Edition Civic Town Hall, which brought together key education and accountability officials to examine the threats to quality education and identify practical solutions for strengthening the sector.
