By Davida Spaine-Solomon
Freetown, 28th August, 2026 – The Government of Sierra Leone has announced stronger measures to tackle examination malpractice and protect the integrity of the country’s education system, including a new policy framework, expanded civic education, and increased use of technology to detect irregularities.
Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, disclosed the measures on Wednesday, 26th August, 2026, during a Special Edition Civic Town Hall, hosted by the Minister of Information, Chernor Bah, at the Miatta Civic Centre in Freetown, held under the theme: “How Do We Address the Threats to Quality Education in Sierra Leone?”
Responding to the theme, the Minister provided context surrounding the recently released National Primary School Examination (NPSE) results. Minister Sackey said about 161,000 candidates sat the examination, with a 78.2 percent pass rate. He congratulated successful candidates and commended teachers, saying the results reflected progress in the education sector despite persistent challenges.
The Minister, however, clarified that the 1,927 withheld results should not be interpreted as cases of examination malpractice.
He explained that approximately 1,640 of the withheld results were linked to schools that had failed to submit the required continuous assessment cards. He said the withheld results were partly intended to protect affected pupils whose continuous assessment scores could significantly affect their final grades and their chances of securing admission to competitive Grade A schools.
Minister Sackey said cases involving alleged examination malpractice accounted for only about 0.2 percent of all NPSE candidates, urging the public to distinguish between withheld results and confirmed cases of cheating.
He also revealed that more than 5,000 pupils scored 300 marks and above, describing the overall performance as encouraging while stressing that malpractice must be addressed firmly.
As part of Government’s response, Minister Sackey said a new White Paper on education was being developed to replace the existing framework, which dated back to 1984. He said the new policy would introduce stronger measures, including criminalisation of certain practices that undermine the credibility of the education system.
He also called for increased civic education and public awareness, stressing that examination malpractice could not be blamed solely on pupils. He described it as a broader problem involving both demand and supply, with parents, teachers and other actors potentially contributing to the practice.
Technology, he said, would also play a greater role in strengthening examination administration and detecting irregularities. According to the Minister, digital systems could analyse more than 300,000 pieces of data to identify duplication and other suspicious patterns. He said additional digital platforms were being introduced to improve monitoring and enhance the credibility of examinations.
Minister Sackey further warned that punitive action would be taken where sufficient evidence establishes wrongdoing. He disclosed that 58 school principals had previously been suspended for one year without pay over examination-related offences, while other cases remained under investigation or consideration.
He also clarified the role of the military during the NPSE, saying their deployment was primarily intended to safeguard examination materials and protect the integrity of the process rather than intimidate pupils.
Minister Sackey called for a collective national effort involving Government, teachers, parents, pupils, civil society, the media and other stakeholders to safeguard the credibility of Sierra Leone’s education system.
He stressed that credible examinations were essential to ensuring that pupils were assessed fairly and that academic qualifications reflected genuine knowledge and competence.
The town hall formed part of Government’s broader civic engagement programme aimed at examining threats to quality education and identifying practical measures to strengthen the sector.
