Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The Coalition of Principal Solidarity (CPS), a group of school leaders across Sierra Leone, has raised concerns over systemic challenges preventing hundreds of students from participating in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Issues with the Continuous Assessment Score System (CASS) and digital submission processes have reportedly excluded many candidates, despite their eligibility.
Bangalie Tommy, CPS Public Relations Officer, stated that the problem has reached a critical level, with an increasing number of students being left out annually.
“This is no longer just an administrative error—it’s a systemic issue that needs urgent intervention,” Tommy said.
A major concern is the CASS system, which contributes 30% to a student’s final WASSCE grade. Despite schools submitting assessment scores, many students still receive F9 (fail) grades across multiple subjects, raising doubts about the grading process.
“If WAEC is truly using our CASS data, why are so many students failing? The marks should reflect their actual performance,” Tommy questioned.
Tommy explained that WAEC abruptly closed the CASS submission portal on a Sunday, while the Ministry of Education was still clearing schools until 6 p.m. Many principals struggled to find and pay IT experts to upload data before the deadline.
“By the time some schools got approval and uploaded their data, the portal was already shut,” he said.
Initially, 84 schools were affected, but after negotiations, WAEC accepted 25, leaving 59 schools’ students excluded.
“Why were only some allowed in? This inconsistency is unfair,” Tommy stated.
The CPS is demanding better coordination between WAEC and the Education Ministry, extended deadlines for submissions and technical support for schools to prevent future exclusions.
For More News And Analysis About Sierra-Leone Follow Africa-Press
