THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE: MINISTER SACKEY CLEARS THE AIR — ONLY 326 OF 1,927 WITHHELD NPSE RESULTS TIED TO MALPRACTICE

By David K.Fengai

Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Conrad Sackey has moved to correct public misunderstanding over the 1,927 NPSE results withheld after the release of the 2026 examination results, stressing that the majority are not linked to cheating.

Speaking at a Special Civic Town Hall at the Miatta Conference Centre in Freetown on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Minister Sackey explained that approximately 1,640 of the withheld results were set aside for administrative reasons, not malpractice. The key issue, he said, was that their schools failed to submit the required Continuous Assessment Cards.

According to the Minister, only 326 candidates — about 0.2% of the more than 161,000 pupils who sat the NPSE — are associated with allegations of examination malpractice.

“Certain people do not understand that the 1,927 candidates are not all suspected of examination malpractice,” Sackey stated. He said the clarification was necessary to protect the reputation of pupils and schools caught up in speculation.

The Minister added that the withholding was also intended to safeguard candidates who could benefit from their Continuous Assessment scores during Grade A school admissions. He gave the example of a pupil scoring 298 who could cross the 300-point threshold once the 10% CA component is added.

Sackey further cited outstanding WAEC payments by some schools as another factor in the handling of results. Despite the challenges, he described this year’s performance as encouraging, with over 5,123 candidates scoring 300 and above.

He assured parents and pupils that the Ministry remains committed to transparency, accountability, and protecting the educational future of every Sierra Leonean child while fixing systemic gaps in the examination process.