Report reaching this medium indicates that some eighty (80) Principals of Senior Secondary Schools across the country will soon be terminated by government through the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and Teaching Service Commission (TSC).
The Communications Officer of the Ministry, Augustine Anthony Bamie who confirmed the news to The Future Newspaper and SLBC’s programme called the ‘Podium’ on Monday March 17th 2025, said they will be terminated through the due process for failing to upload the Continuous Assessment Scores (CASS) Year 1 in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) portal.
“Government through the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), will soon terminate the services of some eighty Principals across the country. If the ministry discovers any malpractice during the investigation, they will hand them over to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for investigation and prosecution,” Bamie said while speaking on the ongoing effort by the ministry to allow candidates take the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).
He said some pupils stormed the ministry yesterday to demand answers from the Minister, Conrad Sackey to know their fate. He accused some Principals of waiting for the last day to upload the entries of their candidates in CASS portal but got stuck due to internet challenge. He said “The people of Sierra Leone will soon hear from the ministry on the next action that we will be taken against these defaulting Principals.” He emphasized that the aim of Mr. Conrad Sackey for now is to see how the pupils will take the public examinations, adding that the minister is making frantic efforts to make sure that the pupils take the examination. He said the ministry has always sent notification to schools about the various dates of the opening and closing of CASS.
He said “One Principal said he forgot his password after the closure of CASS,” adding that government is going to take stringent measures against the defaulting Principals for failing to upload CASS Year 1. This he said will send strong message that government is no longer ready to accept the negative actions of some of these Principals.
Quiet recently, the government suspended twelve principals for six months without salary for failing to upload CASS Year 2.
In his contribution, the Minister, Conrad Sackey said there is going to be consequences for the failure of these school heads to upload CASS Year 1.
“This must stop. Every single year, Sierra Leone is known for not meeting the deadline. There is going to be severe action against defaulting Principals,” Mr. Sackey said. He pointed out that his ministry has no control over the West African Examinations Council, stressing over seven thousand (7,000) candidates from eighty (80) Senior Secondary Schools will not sit the May 2025 WASSCE if all moves taken by government fails.
“I had a meeting with the Chairman of Teaching Service Commission (TSC) on the issue. As a ministry we are working behind the scene to address this issue. I have sent a strong letter to the Registrar of WAEC in Accra, Ghana to prevail on him to open the CASS portal. We are also working with Parliament and the Speaker of Parliament Hon. Solomon Sengepoh Thomas has written a letter to the WAEC Registrar to reconsider their decision. We are also using diplomatic channels to address this issue. I have also spoken to my counterpart in Nigeria to help Sierra Leone,” Mr. Sackey said, adding that the Principals that continue to embarrass Sierra Leone will face the consequences.
It could be recalled that last year government paid over fifty billion old leones for thirty thousand (30,000) candidates to take the 2024 Private WASSCE through an executive clearance signed by President Julius Maada Bio.
