School in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone's formal school system has four main stages. Pre-school or nursery education usually lasts three years from about age three. Primary school lasts six years, from Class 1 to Class 6, followed by three years of junior secondary school, called JSS 1 to JSS 3. Senior secondary school lasts three years, from SSS 1 to SSS 3, and may offer general, specialist or technical and vocational subjects. The first year of pre-school from about age five, primary school and junior secondary school make up the 12-year basic education pathway. Senior secondary school is supported through Free Quality School Education, known as FQSE, but the legislation does not state a separate compulsory-attendance rule for this stage as clearly as it does for basic education. The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, or MBSSE, sets national policy, approves schools, manages the curriculum and oversees quality assurance. Local councils manage many basic-school functions, including subsidies, school feeding, transport, teaching and learning materials, and registration of providers. Government schools are managed by the Ministry. Government-assisted schools receive government financial support, while private, international and faith-based schools operate under their own management and approval arrangements. Schools may be co-educational or single-sex. Special-needs institutions and inclusive mainstream schools are also part of the system. In the 2025 Annual School Census, 13,444 schools were operational, 11,180 were approved and 8,140 public schools were government-supported. Children normally enter primary school at about age six. At the end of Class 6, the National Primary School Examination, or NPSE, is administered by the West African Examinations Council, known as WAEC, or another approved examination body. NPSE results and continuous assessment can affect placement in junior secondary school. Children who are over the usual age and out of school may use a three-year alternative programme through the Directorate of Non-Formal and Adult Education and community learning centres where that pathway is available. Junior secondary school follows primary school or a recognized equivalent non-formal pathway. It provides general education and prepares students for senior secondary school, technical and vocational secondary education or employment-related choices. The Basic Education Certificate Examination, or BECE, is the main examination at the end of JSS. Entry to general senior secondary school normally depends on the required BECE result and continuous assessment. Specialist schools may require a higher BECE result. Students normally complete senior secondary school with the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, or WASSCE. Government and government-assisted schools use the national curriculum and approved syllabuses. Common subjects include English, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Social Studies or Civic Education, Agriculture, Home Economics, Physical and Health Education, Religious and Moral Education, French, Information and Communication Technology, Krio, Mende, Hulimba and practical or expressive arts. English is normally the teaching language in government and government-assisted schools. A local or community language may be used for younger children between about ages three and eight, and wider language learning is encouraged. Schools also use regular internal assessment and practical, project-based learning. Examination malpractice is prohibited, and continuous assessment contributes to BECE and WASSCE grading. Admission should be based on non-discrimination. A school may request a school register or transfer certificate. If a child has foreign records or missing grades, the local council education committee or Chief Education Officer can review equivalence and prior learning. Junior secondary placement follows national or local council guidance. Senior secondary admission conditions are intended to be academic rather than based on unrelated personal characteristics. Parents or guardians have a duty to support attendance, and failure to send a child to school can attract legal consequences under Ministry guidance. The Ministry must be informed when a pupil is absent for more than four weeks within three months. The 2025/2026 school year is scheduled to run from 4 September to 15 December 2025, from 8 January to 28 March 2026 and from 15 April to 19 July 2026. Government and government-assisted schools provide free admission and tuition under FQSE and supply core teaching and learning materials, including textbooks. Families may nevertheless need to budget for uniforms, shoes, transport, additional materials, optional subject books, meals or repeated examination and class costs. NPSE, BECE and WASSCE examination fees are not automatically removed by free tuition. School support includes child-friendly and safe-school measures, gender- and disability-friendly water and sanitation facilities, guidance counselling, school management committees and boards of governors. The Teaching Service Commission, or TSC, deals with teacher qualifications, training and appraisal. The 2025 census recorded serious access and infrastructure pressures: the average pupil-to-classroom ratio was 53, rising to 82 for classrooms in good condition; 45.2% of schools had no water, 40% had no functional handwashing facility and 19.4% had no latrine. National policy therefore gives particular attention to universal access, safety, inclusive participation and the quality of teaching and learning.