Government Reaffirms Commitment to Fund All Eligible WASSCE Pupils
The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) has re-affirmed that the Government of Sierra Leone remains committed to paying WASSCE examination fees for all genuine and eligible school pupils, stressing that there is no maximum limit on the number of pupils the state is willing to support.
In a statement to Parliament, the Minister said recent verification checks uncovered duplicate registrations, fake BECE records, and candidates who did not meet entry requirements for senior secondary school. Out of 219,171 candidates initially uploaded for the 2026 WASSCE, 163,997 were cleared after verification, while 55,174 entries could not be validated.
The Minister emphasized that the new undertaking introduced for school leaders is not meant to reduce access but to ensure that only qualified pupils benefit from government support. Under the policy, principals and proprietors must certify that candidates meet the required BECE criteria and that duplicate registrations are prevented.
Officials say the move will help safeguard public funds while maintaining fairness in the education system, noting that examination fees are paid upfront by government for each candidate. The verification exercise is also expected to save more than USD 1.37 million that can be redirected to improve learning outcomes nationwide.
The Ministry maintains that the reforms are designed to strengthen accountability while ensuring that every legitimate pupil continues to benefit from the government’s free WASSCE support programme.
