CSOs Consortium wants Education Minister sacked

The CSOs National Consortium on Public Accountability has called on President Julius Maada Bio to immediately relieve the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, of his ministerial responsibilities and establish an independent investigation into the poor performance of pupils in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

In a press release signed by its Executive Secretary, Ahmed M. Yillah, the Consortium expressed serious concern over what it described as the persistent decline in educational standards and the increasing number of pupils whose examination results have been withheld by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

According to the Consortium, 13,237 pupils had their results withheld in 2025, compared with 47,454 in 2026, representing a significant increase that it said raises serious questions about the management, supervision and accountability of the country’s education sector.

The organisation attributed the worrying trend to what it described as weaknesses in the leadership and administration of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education under Minister Conrad Sackey. It argued that the repeated challenges facing the education sector demand urgent presidential intervention and a comprehensive assessment of the Ministry’s performance.

The Consortium maintained that parents, taxpayers and development partners continue to invest substantial financial and material resources in education and therefore deserve measurable improvements in teaching, learning and academic achievement.

It further questioned the effectiveness of existing education policies, resource management, institutional supervision and accountability mechanisms, stressing that poor academic outcomes should not be blamed solely on pupils, teachers and parents without examining the wider institutional challenges.

Among its key demands, the Consortium wants President Bio to establish an independent investigative committee comprising civil society organisations working in education, religious bodies and academics to investigate the factors responsible for the country’s declining educational performance.

It also called for an investigation into the allocation, disbursement and utilisation of education funds, particularly resources intended for improving teaching quality, school infrastructure, learning materials, teacher development and service delivery.

The proposed investigation, according to the Consortium, should also examine the effectiveness of the Free Quality School Education Programme and other major government education interventions, including their implementation, achievements and existing shortcomings.

Additionally, it wants the committee to assess school inspection and monitoring systems, teacher performance management, curriculum implementation and the Ministry’s internal accountability structures.

The organisation further urged the President to ensure that the findings and recommendations of the investigation are made public, with appropriate administrative, disciplinary or legal action taken wherever negligence or wrongdoing is established.

Beyond the immediate demand for the Minister’s removal, the Consortium proposed a series of reforms aimed at improving the country’s education system. These include a nationwide assessment of pupils’ learning outcomes, stronger school supervision, improved teacher recruitment and professional development, transparent management of education resources and measurable performance indicators for education sector leadership.

It also called on the government to increase teachers’ salaries to improve their motivation and strengthen engagement with parents, teachers, school authorities, education experts and civil society organisations.

The Consortium emphasised that educational performance is influenced by several factors, including household poverty, teacher availability, school infrastructure, learning materials, school attendance and curriculum quality. It therefore insisted that any independent investigation must be comprehensive, impartial and evidence-based.

While describing its demand for the Minister’s dismissal as a call for political and administrative accountability, the organisation clarified that its position should not be interpreted as a declaration of personal wrongdoing or criminal liability, noting that any allegations of misconduct must be established through due process.

As part of its proposed action points, the Consortium said it intends to organise press conferences across the regions and join concerned parents and pupils in protests at the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.

The organisation concluded by urging President Bio to demonstrate decisive leadership by relieving Minister Sackey of his responsibilities and initiating an independent investigation into the Ministry’s management, performance and accountability.

It maintained that Sierra Leone’s children deserve an education system capable of delivering measurable learning outcomes, protecting public resources and preparing young people for meaningful participation in national development.

 

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CSOs NATIONAL CONSORTIUM ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY CALLS

ON PRESIDENT BIO TO IMMEDIATELY DISMISS THE MINISTER OF

BASIC AND SENIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION AND ORDER AN

INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO POOR PUPILS’ PERFORMANCE OF OVER 45.000 WITHHELD WAEC RESULTS

 

Undoubtedly, the education sector has increasingly witnessed a deteriorating phenomenal rise in a predictable decline of educational quality since Conrad Sackey emerged as the Minister of

Basic Education. It is evident from the 3 years Waec results: 2024-2025 and 2026 respectively. In 2025, over 13.000 pupils and this year over 47.000 pupils results withheld. Meaning it is obvious that we will see an increase of results withheld of over 100.000. What changes? What has he done to improve the quality of education? For the past years under Minister Conrad Sackey, the Basic Education Minister keeps repeating an abysmal and horrible academic predicament. After a thorough measurements and evaluation of Mr. Conrad’s assessment, we are now convinced that he cannot give what he does not have, which means the signs are written on the wall, thus his resignation and investigation is timely.

On this consideration, the CSOs National Consortium on Public Accountability expresses serious frustrations and concern over the persistent challenges confronting Sierra Leone’s education sector especially under the jurisdiction of the current minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Schools. Under his administration as a minister, we have witnessed a consequential decline of educational standards in the country, particularly the unsatisfactory academic performance of pupils and the apparent weaknesses in the effective management, supervision and accountability of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.

 

This year’s 2026 results show that the minister is seemingly trying to either undermine or sabotage educational performance. Last year, 2025, it was 13. 237 and this year it grows to 47.454 which means we keep going backwards as a nation.

In essence, the Consortium believes that the state of the country’s education system demands urgent presidential attention, decisive leadership and a comprehensive examination of the Ministry’s performance.

Education remains one of the most important investments any nation can make in its future. Parents, taxpayers and development partners commit substantial financial, human and material resources to ensure that children receive quality education. Consequently, the public has a legitimate expectation that these investments will translate into measurable improvements in teaching, learning and academic achievement.

However, concerns surrounding pupils’ academic performance raise serious questions about the effectiveness of existing education policies, institutional supervision, resource management and the overall accountability framework within the Ministry.

OUR CALL TO HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT JULIUS MAADA BIO

In view of these concerns, the CSOs National Consortium on Public Accountability calls on His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio to:

1. Immediately relieve the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education of his ministerial responsibilities.

The Consortium considers it necessary for the President to take decisive leadership action in response to the concerns surrounding the performance and accountability of the education sector. The continued challenges facing pupils require a fresh assessment of leadership, institutional direction and ministerial responsibility.

• Establish an immediate independent investigative committee bringing CSOs in education, religious bodies and academics to independent investigative committee.

The investigation must establish the underlying factors contributing to poor learning outcomes and determine whether institutional failures, policy weaknesses or management deficiencies have contributed to the situation.

• Investigate the utilisation of education funds and resources.

The investigation should examine the allocation, disbursement and utilisation of resources provided to the Ministry, including funds intended to improve teaching quality, school infrastructure, learning materials, teacher development and educational service delivery.

The public deserves assurance that resources allocated to education are being used for their intended purposes and are producing measurable results.

• Examine the effectiveness of education policies and programmes.

The Consortium calls for a comprehensive assessment of the implementation of the Free Quality School Education Programme and other major education interventions.

The assessment should determine whether these programmes are achieving their intended objectives and identify implementation gaps requiring urgent corrective action.

• Investigate institutional supervision and performance management.

The investigation should examine the effectiveness of monitoring and evaluation systems, school inspection mechanisms, teacher performance management, curriculum implementation and the Ministry’s internal accountability structures.

1. Publish the findings and recommendations.

We call on the President to ensure that the findings of the investigation are made publicly available, subject to lawful confidentiality requirements, and that appropriate administrative, disciplinary or legal action is taken wherever wrongdoing or negligence is established.

ACCOUNTABILITY MUST BE MORE THAN A PUBLIC STATEMENT

The Consortium wishes to emphasise that the responsibility for improving education outcomes cannot be separated from institutional accountability.

Poor learning outcomes should not simply be attributed to pupils, teachers or parents without examining the broader institutional and policy environment within which the education system operates.

The Ministry responsible for education has a fundamental obligation to provide effective leadership, ensure proper supervision, promote quality teaching and learning, and account for the resources entrusted to it.

Where serious institutional shortcomings are established, those responsible must be held accountable in accordance with the law.

We further recognise that educational outcomes are influenced by several factors, including household poverty, teacher availability, school infrastructure, learning materials, school attendance, curriculum quality and the wider socioeconomic environment.

For this reason, an independent investigation must be comprehensive, impartial and evidencebased.

OUR DEMANDS FOR EDUCATION SECTOR REFORM

Beyond the immediate call for ministerial accountability, the Consortium recommends the following measures:

1. Conduct a nationwide assessment of pupils’ learning outcomes across primary and secondary schools.
2. Strengthen school inspection, supervision and monitoring mechanisms.
3. Improve teacher recruitment, professional development and performance management.
4. Ensure transparent allocation and utilisation of education resources.
5. Strengthen accountability mechanisms within the Ministry and its affiliated institutions.
6. Establish measurable performance indicators for education sector leadership.
7. Regularly publish education sector performance reports to enable citizens to monitor progress.
8. Increase meaningful engagement with parents, teachers, school authorities, education experts and civil society organisations.
9. Government to increase the salary of teachers so that they can be motivated

OUR POSITION

The CSOs National Consortium on Public Accountability reiterates that public office is a responsibility entrusted to individuals on behalf of the people.

Ministers and other public officials must be prepared to account for their stewardship, particularly in sectors as critical as education.

Our call for the dismissal of the Minister is a demand for political and administrative accountability. It should not be interpreted as a declaration of personal wrongdoing or criminal liability. Any allegations of misconduct must be independently investigated and established through due process.

We believe that Sierra Leone’s children deserve an education system that delivers measurable learning outcomes, protects public investment and prepares young people for meaningful participation in national development.

Action Points: 

• organize a press conference across the region
• join the concerned parents and pupils to protest in the office of the Minister

In conclusion, we therefore urge His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio to demonstrate decisive leadership by relieving the Minister of his responsibilities and initiating an independent investigation into the management, performance and accountability of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.

The education of our children is too important to be compromised by weak accountability. The time for transparency, responsibility and meaningful reform is now.

Ahmed M. Yillah- Executive Secretary CSOs National Consortium on Public Accountability078808123

Signed

……………………

Ahmed M. Yillah

Executive Secretary-NCPA-078808123