A teacher who worked as a WAEC examiner is now in the custody of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) after the just-ended WASSCE exams. Officials say he is accused of exam malpractice.
ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala shared the news last week, at a special Civic Town Hall organised by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education at the Miatta Conference Centre. The event focused on how to protect the quality of education in Sierra Leone.
According to Kaifala, WAEC reported the teacher. The allegation is that he went from house to house asking parents for money so their children could rewrite the exams.
Kaifala recalled seeing serious problems during the 2019 public exams.
He said the planning, organisation and deliberate damage to the education system shocked him. He first came across exam malpractice in 2018, shortly after taking office. In one case in Aberdeen, students were still writing public exams as late as 10 pm. The papers were then packed and sent to WAEC.
He pointed out that teachers, principals, parents and even some WAEC officials have worked together on a large scale.
“This comes from desperation,” he said. “Parents have realised that good education opens the door to opportunities and success, so they want their children to get in.”
Sallieu Kamara, Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, confirmed that the council handed the teacher over to the ACC.
He firmly denied that WAEC leaks exam papers before the exams.
“We do not support exam malpractice in any form,” he said. “Nobody is above the law. If any of our staff is found guilty, we will expose them. WAEC has integrity and we are protecting it.”
Kamara added that WAEC, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, and the Sierra Leone Teachers Union have already signed a joint statement against exam malpractice. He also recalled a case in the 2024 exams where an examiner was caught copying straight from the marking scheme and was reported to the ACC at once. WAEC, he stressed, has zero tolerance for this behaviour.
Ibrahim Bankapoma Kargbo, President of the Sierra Leone Teachers Union, said poor working conditions and low salaries are among the main reasons some teachers get involved in exam malpractice.
He listed other factors such as misuse of technology, poverty, favouritism in jobs, and loss of personal integrity.
He said the government has not done enough to encourage teachers to stay honest. “I am not supporting corruption,” he said, “but we must speak the truth. When you pay a teacher properly, the temptation to cheat becomes less.”
Minister of Information and Civic Education Chernor Bah disagreed. He argued that low pay should never be used as an excuse for teachers to cheat in exams.
Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Conrad Sackey clarified that the 2026 National Primary School Examination (NPSE) results were not delayed because of malpractice. Schools simply failed to submit continuous assessment records to WAEC. Releasing incomplete results would have been unfair to the pupils.
He announced a 78.2 percent pass rate and congratulated the pupils who sat the exams. However, he revealed that about 326 alleged cases of exam malpractice were recorded during the NPSE.
Sackey said a new WAEC bill is coming that will make it a crime to damage the quality of education. The government also plans a public campaign against exam malpractice and will use digital tools to fight it. Any school found guilty will face punishment. Already, 58 principals have been suspended for one year without pay.
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