Biometric Registration for WASSCE in Sierra Leone

Today marks the launching of the Biometric Registration for candidates who will be taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE). The Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Minkailu Bah, is expected to grace the occasion which is to take place at the West African Examination Council, (WAEC) Secretariat at Tower Hill, Freetown.

According to the Head of National Office, WAEC-Sierra Leone, Sheriff Mohamed Sapateh, the Biometric Registration has been introduced to drastically minimize or eradicate examination malpractices He explained that the system involves the certification of finger print and displaying of facial features against subject entries in order to prevent impersonation and reduce the frequency of request for change of subject entries.

Mr Sapateh stressed that the new system will ensure smooth conduct of the exams “We want to instill discipline in the conduct of the exams,” he further emphasized, recalling that the idea for the system originated in the Registrar Planning and Coordinating Meeting last year in Lagos, Nigeria where the five member countries of WAEC were given the challenge to initiate Biometric Registration in their respective countries.

The National Head further informed that in readiness for the new system, Nigerian experts are now training forty WAEC officials, concluding that eighteen cyber café operators and WAEC staff are now undergoing intensive training in how to input the biometric forms.

By Alhaji Saidu Kamara

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