As school is set to reopen in September 8, 2025 for the 2025/2026 Academic Year. The country is left in dilemma not knowing which curriculum the Senior Secondary School Three (S.S.S. 3) students will be assessed on in the 2026 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
In December of 2021, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education published the New Senior Secondary School Curriculum Framework. This Framework gives chance to students to select from a wider range of subjects and kicked-off the traditional streams which used to be Arts, Commercial, Science and Technical and Vocational Stream (Tec. Voc.). The aforementioned streams were replaced with five expertise streams which are: Sciences and Technologies; Mathematics and Numeracies; Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship; Languages and Literatures; and Social and Cultural Studies. This new curriculum framework aims to provide the students with a wider range of subjects’ choices and promote creativity and understanding.
During the publication of this new curriculum framework, Sierra Leoneans were assured that all the seventy-six (76) subjects in this new curriculum will be examinable in the WASSCE examination. But the question citizens are asking now is; when would the students start sitting these subjects in the WASSCE examination? As we are set for the reopening of schools, teachers especially those teaching in the S.S.S. 3 classes are in confusion whether to use the old or new curriculum to prepare their lesson note.
Before the closure of 2024/2025 School Year, there was rumour among the teaching staff that, some schools have reverted to the old curriculum based on the information that the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) has not been informed by MBSSE to develop questions on these 76 subjects, as a result WAEC is not prepared to examine the students on the recently introduce subjects. It was on that basis some heads of school took the decision to revert to the old curriculum, whilst some heads of school tried to integrate both the old and new curriculums. Notwithstanding, most heads of school decided to go ahead with the new curriculum and waiting to listen from the MBSSE.
Besides the rumour that WAEC is not prepare to examine the students in the 2026 WASSCE on the new curriculum, as believe by most people within the school system, both students and teachers are finding it challenging to access textbooks and other educational materials that contain the topics in each of these 76 subjects. It takes finance for teachers to access the internet, consult newspapers, magazines and likes to prepare their lesson note. Most teachers are unwilling to take from their salary to finance this research. Another challenge is that there is no assurance to the students that they will come across Past Question Papers on these subjects which they will use for home practice.
In my opinion, the students that will be taking the 2026 WASSCE will face greater challenge as compare to those before them, whether they sit the new or old curriculum. As for the new curriculum, most teachers are yet to master the topics in the various subject. The lack of textbooks in these subjects and most teachers were refusing to use part of their salary to search for material online is another concern. This has impeded them to cover more topics with the students. So, tell me how would the students get themselves well prepared on this new curriculum to sit the 2026 WASSCE? Even if the students are asked to sit the old curriculum, most schools have not been teaching the old curriculum for the past two years, so tell me how would the students not finding it challenging if they are asked to sit the old curriculum?
I am calling on the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) to come and clear this dilemma which the nation has found itself in. Parents and are asking the teachers which of the curriculums the children are going sit; the teachers are referring the question to the heads of school. Guess what, I don’t think the heads of school can have answer to this question.
