By Sallieu S. Kanu
Sierra Leone — February 11, 2026: The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) has reaffirmed that the Government of Sierra Leone will continue to pay West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for all genuine and eligible pupils, stressing that there is no maximum limit on the number of candidates the state is willing to support.
According to officials, a recent nationwide verification exercise uncovered irregularities in candidate registrations, including duplicate entries, fake Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) records, and pupils who did not meet senior secondary admission requirements. Out of 219,171 candidates initially uploaded for the 2026 WASSCE, only 163,997 were cleared after verification, while 55,174 entries were invalidated.
The Minister explained that the introduction of an undertaking for school leaders is designed to protect the integrity of the free WASSCE programme. Principals and proprietors must now certify that all candidates meet BECE criteria and that duplicate registrations are prevented.
Officials estimate that the verification exercise will save the government approximately USD 1.37 million in examination fees. The savings will ensure that public resources are directed toward genuine pupils while strengthening accountability within the education system.