By Kelfala Kargbo
Freetown, 13th October 2025- Confusion is mounting in senior secondary schools across Sierra Leone as the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education grapples with the rollout of its New Curriculum Framework. What was introduced in 2023 as a bold reform to expand student choice and specialization has now left pupils and teachers caught between two systems, neither fully functional, nor officially abandoned.
The ministry’s recent directive asking pupils in public examination classes to select subjects from both the New and Old curricula has only deepened the uncertainty. The original plan was to replace the traditional three-stream model, Arts, Science, and Commercial, with five new streams. But teachers say only three of those are currently operational: Science and Technology, Social and Cultural Studies, and Economics, Business and Entrepreneur. The other two streams remain defunct, with no clear guidance or resources.
In classrooms, the confusion is profound. Alhaji Alieu Fofanah, a teacher at the West Africa Methodist Collegiate School, told Truth Media that schools have been left to improvise. “Government is yet to officially inform us to go back to the old curriculum,” he said. “But we have used our discretion to teach the pupils using the old curriculum.”
The West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), which oversees public exams in Sierra Leone and the subregion, has also voiced concern. WAEC has made it clear it cannot set questions solely from the new curriculum for the 2026 WASSCE. According to Fofanah, the council informed teachers that its question bank does not yet support the new framework.
For pupils, the impact is personal and painful. “We were introduced to the new curriculum in SSS1,” said one student at Collegiate School. “But later in SSS2, we were told to go back to the old curriculum. That means we’ve spent two wasted years.” Another student feared the abrupt shift would hurt their chances of passing the WASSCE. “Most of us would rely on examination malpractice since we have limited time to grasp the subjects in the old curriculum,” he admitted.
With frustration growing among pupils, parents, and teachers, Minister Conrad Sackey took to Facebook on Wednesday, October 8, to offer reassurance. He promised that students preparing for the 2026 WASSCE would be able to choose from both curricula. “In the 2026 and 2027 exams, you will have a choice,” Sackey wrote. “There will be 20 subjects from the new curriculum and 17 subjects from the old one. Your school will guide you on which path is best for you.”
The minister described the current phase as a two-year transition, designed to give schools time to adjust. But for many, the damage may already be done. With no clear roadmap, no official rollback, and no full implementation, the fate of thousands of pupils hangs in the balance.
