Lawyer Criticises Free Education Programme
Sierra Leone’s Free Quality School Education programme faces renewed scrutiny following the release of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, which prominent lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara says highlight a critical disconnect between national education policy and actual student achievement.
In an opinion piece titled “Quality Education Is a Promise. The WASSCE Is a Receipt,” Kamara argued that the recent national examination scores expose systemic failures across the country's public education framework, particularly in English Language proficiency.
According to performance figures cited by Kamara, only 9.7% of candidates achieved a credit grade in English Language in this year’s examinations, while 63.33% failed the subject outright.
Addressing the underlying causes, Kamara pointed to the medium of instruction as a key factor, noting that requiring English-only instruction in environments where neither educators nor students are fully fluent creates predictable learning barriers.
Beyond language instruction, the commentary highlights institutional challenges, including data indicating that 38% of the active teaching workforce lacks formal qualifications. Overcrowded classrooms, limited textbook availability, and persistent learning deficits continue to impact overall instructional quality.
The piece also raises concerns regarding examination integrity, citing a significant rise in withheld examination results—from 13,237 in 2025 to 47,454 in 2026 due to suspected malpractice.
Launched in 2018, the Free Quality School Education initiative aimed to remove financial barriers to primary and secondary schooling nationwide. However, critics maintain that expanding access without proportionate investments in teacher training, infrastructure, and learning materials falls short of delivering educational quality.
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