By Davida Spaine-Solomon
Freetown, 31st August 2026- Deputy Vice Chancellor of Fourah Bay College (FBC), Professor Andrew Baio, has called for stronger systems to detect, investigate and punish corruption and academic malpractice in Sierra Leone’s education sector, warning that weak enforcement could erode academic standards and undermine the credibility of qualifications.
Professor Baio made the call during a Special Edition of the Civic Town Hall hosted by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE) on Wednesday, 26 August 2026, at the Miatta Civic Centre in Freetown.
The town hall, held under the theme “How Do We Address the Threats to Quality Education in Sierra Leone?”, brought together education stakeholders to examine challenges affecting the quality and credibility of the country’s education system.
Speaking from the perspective of tertiary education, Professor Baio said expanding access and introducing reforms would have limited impact if institutions lacked effective mechanisms to identify academic fraud and impose appropriate sanctions.
He argued that people are more likely to engage in malpractice when they believe the potential benefits outweigh the chances of being caught and punished.
According to Professor Baio, increasing the likelihood of detection and ensuring meaningful sanctions could change that calculation and serve as a deterrent to fraudulent practices.
He cited fake academic qualifications as a particular threat to the integrity of tertiary education, noting that individuals may obtain fraudulent degrees to secure employment, promotions or other opportunities without expecting serious consequences.
He therefore called for stronger verification systems for academic credentials presented for employment, further studies and professional opportunities.
Professor Baio stressed that academic qualifications must reflect genuine knowledge, skills and achievement. He warned that when fraudulent credentials go undetected, they not only undermine the credibility of education institutions but can also diminish the value of legitimate qualifications and allow unqualified individuals to occupy positions for which they are inadequately prepared.
Digitisation and Verification
The FBC Deputy Vice Chancellor also highlighted digitisation as an important tool for improving transparency and accountability within the education sector.
He noted that digital systems could strengthen the management and verification of student records, academic credentials and institutional processes while reducing opportunities for the manipulation of physical documents.
However, he said digitisation must be accompanied by effective monitoring and verification mechanisms if it is to significantly strengthen academic integrity.
Professor Baio further called for greater attention to the resilience of the education system, particularly its ability to continue functioning during national emergencies.
Reflecting on disruptions caused by the Ebola outbreak, he noted that reliance on traditional classroom-based learning can leave students vulnerable when emergencies make physical attendance difficult or impossible.
He consequently advocated for alternative learning mechanisms, including remote and technology-supported education, to ensure continuity of teaching and learning during future disruptions.
Reforms Must Be Backed by Enforcement
Professor Baio maintained that initiatives to expand access, improve infrastructure and digitise education must be matched by strong measures to protect academic integrity.
He argued that reforms would have limited effect if corruption and malpractice continued to undermine the credibility of academic institutions and qualifications.
He therefore urged education authorities and institutions to strengthen monitoring, improve detection mechanisms and ensure consistent enforcement across the sector.
He said the objective should not be limited to punishing malpractice after it occurs, but should also be to create a system in which the likelihood of detection and consequences is sufficiently high to discourage fraudulent practices.
According to Professor Baio, public confidence in Sierra Leone’s education system depends on students, parents, employers and institutions being assured that academic qualifications are earned through genuine learning and achievement.
He said sustained reforms, effective verification systems, stronger monitoring and consistent enforcement would be essential to safeguarding academic standards and ensuring that qualifications awarded by Sierra Leone’s tertiary institutions remain credible nationally and internationally.
