Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The Council of Principals of Secondary Schools (CPSS) has announced that only pupils who meet the required scores will be admitted into Grade A secondary schools, as preparations for the 2025 school interviews continue.
Speaking at the government press conference on August 5 at the Miatta Conference Center, the CPSS confirmed that interviews for school placement will begin on August 18, and the final date for receiving exam results is August 12. These dates are important for pupils and parents as they mark key steps in the admission process for this academic year.
There is high demand for places, especially in Grade A schools. Admission will depend on performance, and pupils who do not meet the set cut-off marks will not be admitted, even if parents request it. This means that pupils must meet the established standards in their exams to have a chance at securing a place. Schools are expected to follow the rules strictly to maintain fairness for all applicants. All interview panels must include representatives from alumni associations, school boards, and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) to ensure transparency.
No interviews will take place until schools receive the updated official price list. The CPSS said the price list is now awaiting the Education Minister’s approval before it is reviewed by the Ministry of Trade. Once approved, the price list will be sent to schools and also made public so that parents can be confident they will not be asked to pay more than what is allowed. This step is part of efforts to protect parents from overcharging and make sure all school fees are clear and fair.
The CPSS also addressed problems with pupils who missed last year’s exams due to data upload issues. In many cases, IT staff failed to upload student records correctly, especially the Continuous Assessment Score 2 (CAS 2). When the system shows an error during upload, no data appears in the system for some pupils. This has caused difficulties for schools and affected some candidates’ admission chances.
To prevent this from happening again, schools can now ask for support from the ministry to help or supervise the data upload process during future exams. This is intended to make sure that all student records are accurate and complete, so no pupil is left out because of technical problems.
The Council says the goal is to keep the admission process fair and open for all pupils. Parents are encouraged to carefully check that any school charges they are asked to pay match the official price list once it is released. This will help ensure that no extra fees are being demanded beyond what is allowed.
Thousands of candidates are expected to attend interviews starting on August 18, as schools work to place students fairly and efficiently for the new academic year. The CPSS remains committed to supporting schools, parents, and pupils throughout this process.
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