45-Year-Old Woman’s WASSCE Results Remain Withheld Amid Public Debate

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld the results of Saminatu Tarawally, a 45-year-old woman who was discovered earlier this year taking the school-based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Freetown.

Saminatu, candidate number 6041645729, sat for nine subjects at Bishop Jane Middleton Senior Secondary School in Goderich, including English Language, Mathematics, Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Health Science, and Physics. WAEC has not provided a reason for withholding her results, fueling public interest and debate.

The case first gained attention in May when Deputy Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Mamusu Patricia Massaquoi, discovered Saminatu taking the exam during an unannounced visit.

Following the incident, Mamusu Patico Komeh, a senior WAEC official, explained that the May-June WASSCE is intended for school-going candidates under 25 who have recently taken the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Saminatu did not meet these criteria, being over 25 and having taken the BECE more than a decade ago.

Komeh emphasized that the correct option for candidates like Saminatu is the private WASSCE, held later in the year and open to all regardless of age or educational background. She described sitting the school-based exam as examination malpractice, warning that such actions undermine the integrity of the education system.

Following the withholding of her results, Saminatu’s younger brother, Abubakarr Tarawally, called on President Dr. Julius Maada Bio to investigate how WAEC handled the case. He expressed concern that withholding her results could discourage women and girls from pursuing education.

WAEC has not indicated when or if Saminatu’s results will be released.