By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
In order to improve the management of public examinations in Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) is set to update the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Act of 1984.
Information on the update of the old Act was made public after staff at the MBSSE went through a ‘‘detailed and comprehensive’’ review of the draft WAEC Bill on the 4th of June 2023.
The Ministry was said to have commenced a review and update of four main laws in Sierra Leone during the last few years. They have developed the Basic and Senior Secondary Education Act of 2023 during the last Parliament, and are now putting the finishing touches to updating the WAEC Act of 1984.
“This might be one of the first laws to be passed by the new Parliament,” a statement from the ministry says.
The ministry is also about to enter drafting of the updated Teaching Service Commission (TSC) Act of 2011 before rounding up with the already drafted Sierra Leone Library Board Act.
It noted that the aforementioned laws are being done in consultation with experts and all major constituents of society who underpin the revolution happening in the education sector.
According to the Communication Expert at MBSSE, Augustine Sankoh the ministry is working on reviewing the old WAEC Act of 1984 that has been in existence for a very long time. He said countries like Ghana are using their own customized Acts and that Sierra Leone is not an exception.
He stated that it is WAEC Africa that has worked on the Bill and sent it to the ministry to be validated, a process they are currently working on. He said since the old Act has been archaic and a lot of changes have happened in the education sector in the country, there was a need for improving it.
Sankoh reiterated that the current process is just a pre-validation, saying the final validation will be done after they would have visited the consultant on Thursday 6th June 2023.
The West African Examinations Council is Africa’s foremost examining board established by law to determine the examinations required in public interest in English-speaking West African countries to conduct examinations and award certificates comparable to those of equivalent examining authorities internationally.
The council is expected to assist in the development of sound education, ensure that educational standards are maintained, and give the people of West Africa a vision of the great potential which lies beyond examinations.
It celebrated its 30th anniversary in March 1982 in Monrovia, Liberia during which the convention establishing WAEC was signed and subsequently ratified by member Governments. It came into force in August 1984.
Copyright © Politico (05/07/23)
