Sackey Plans Crash Training for Teachers Amid High WASSCE Failures
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, announced plans for an urgent in-service crash training program for English Language teachers following alarming candidate results in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Speaking at the official release of the WASSCE results, Minister Sackey revealed that a staggering 63.33 per cent of students failed the English Language. Only 9.77 per cent managed to secure credit passes between grades A1 and C6, marking what he described as a critical concern for the nation’s education sector.
The examination figures also exposed widespread absenteeism, with 19,464 registered candidates—representing 9.68 per cent—failing to sit the English Language paper.
While this represents a significant drop from the 41,269 absent students (27.83 per cent) recorded in 2025, education officials stressed that the non-attendance rate remains unacceptably high.
To tackle the crisis, the Ministry is mobilizing educationists across all tiers to formulate immediate intervention strategies alongside existing foundational literacy reforms.
A key short-term measure under evaluation is the rapid retraining of English teachers, though formal launch dates and final approvals are still pending.
In contrast to the English language performance, Mathematics outcomes showed notable progress. A total of 108,850 students—or 62.15 per cent of candidates—achieved a credit grade or higher, up from 46.71 per cent in 2025.
However, Mathematics was not immune to attendance issues, with 25,973 registered students (12.91 per cent) missing the exam.
The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education confirmed it will continue balancing quick-response teacher training initiatives with comprehensive structural policy changes to stabilize student performance in key subjects.
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