By: Kadiatu Sankoh
The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, during the weekly government press briefing held on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at the Miatta Conference Centre, Youyi Building, announced the suspension of four secondary school heads for six months without salary. This disciplinary action comes in response to their failure to meet the deadline for uploading the Continuous Assessment Scores (CAS) of their candidates for the 2024/2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Minister Sackey emphasized the urgency of adhering to deadlines, especially as the public exams period draws closer. He expressed his concerns, highlighting that delays in meeting requirements last year resulted in some students being unable to sit for the WASSCE due to challenges during the registration process. The government had to intervene by funding these affected students to take the private WASSCE, a situation the Ministry is determined to avoid this year.
Providing updates on the current status, the Minister revealed that some schools have yet to register their candidates, even though registration is a critical step. He explained that the process for sitting the WASSCE includes the mandatory submission of CAS, which constitutes 30% of a candidate’s overall grade. Under the newly introduced system, schools are required to upload CAS annually and complete submissions for the previous academic year before proceeding to the current one. This marks a significant shift from the old system, where CAS submissions were a one-time requirement and could even be uploaded after students had already taken their written exams.
Minister Sackey noted that this change is aimed at ensuring greater accountability and accuracy in the system. However, it also introduces restrictions, such as the inability to accommodate repeaters. He explained that candidates who failed the previous WASSCE cannot have CAS for two preceding years in the system, a critical requirement to qualify for each year’s examination. To address this issue, the Ministry has implemented stringent measures to filter out repeaters and ensure that only eligible candidates are registered.
For the 2024/2025 academic year, the Minister announced that 163,797 candidates from 892 schools are currently registered in the system, a notable increase from last year’s 147,000 candidates from 816 schools. He commended the school authorities who have successfully met the CAS submission deadline, stating that all 892 schools have completed the first stage, CAS 1, which includes candidates’ biodata, photographs, and other personal details. However, only 880 schools have submitted CAS 2, indicating that 12 schools have defaulted. Among these defaulters are four private schools, four government or public schools, and four institutions not officially recognized by the Ministry.
The Minister clarified that while the defaulting schools’ candidates will still be allowed to sit for the exams, their CAS contribution will be reduced by 10%, potentially impacting their overall grades. He described the failure of these school authorities to meet deadlines as gross indiscipline, emphasizing that the public school heads involved would face serious consequences. Additionally, he issued a strong warning to proprietors of private schools to ensure they employ competent school heads, cautioning that failure to comply could lead to the withdrawal of their operating licenses.
As the registration process progresses, the next crucial phase involves Batch Registration, where every school must officially register their candidates to take this year’s WASSCE. Minister Sackey urged parents and guardians to actively engage with school authorities to ensure the process is completed on time. He revealed that only 32% of the 892 schools have completed Batch Registration so far, with the deadline set for February 7, 2025.
The Ministry, according to the Minister, is making significant efforts to ensure that all candidates are able to take the public exams. Support has been extended to school heads requiring assistance with the registration process. Minister Sackey stressed the importance of this collaborative effort, urging all stakeholders to prioritize the students’ future and avoid the setbacks experienced last year.
Concluding his address, the Minister called on school heads to fulfill their responsibilities promptly, reiterating that the Ministry is committed to ensuring a smooth examination process. He emphasized that meeting deadlines and adhering to the new system’s requirements is vital to upholding the integrity and efficiency of the educational system.