By: Alimatu Kargbo
At the Government Weekly Press Briefing on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, highlighted critical issues surrounding public examinations, internet connectivity, and school registration challenges.
The Minister outlined difficulties faced by some pupils who were unable to take the 2024 WASSCE. He revealed that the government had provided funds for these pupils to sit for the exams privately.
According to him, the challenge arose because some schools are not fully integrated into the national examination system. He emphasized that pupils must have a continuous assessment grade, which contributes 30% of their final grade, before being allowed to take the WASSCE.
He explained that under the new system, student grades must be renewed yearly to remain valid. Currently, 163,787 pupils from 892 schools are registered in the system, an increase compared to the 147,000 pupils who took the exam last year from 816 schools. Sackey thanked school leaders for their efforts but stressed that some schools have yet to upload their CAST 1 data, which contains detailed student records.
Out of 892 schools, 880 have completed the registration process, while the remaining schools risk lowering their pupils’ chances of participating in the exams if they do not comply. He urged parents to contact school leaders to ensure their children are registered before the February 7, 2025 deadline.
Minister Sackey warned that schools failing to register on time will face serious consequences. Government schools that do not upload their data will be suspended for six months without salaries. He stressed the importance of accountability and noted that schools are offered IT support to help with the process but must take it seriously.
The Minister concluded by appealing to schools to avoid a repeat of the 2024 WASSCE challenges, ensuring that no pupil suffers due to administrative failures.
