President of Sierra Leone, Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio has tasked authorities of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on the need to continue to uphold standards and integrity in its assessment process.

 He said there should always be relevance between assessment and curriculum so that the outcomes of assessment would accurately reflect the individual’s competence or attainment in relation to tasks or further studies. Bio spoke during WAEC 67th Annual Meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone with the election of the country’s Chief Government Nominee on Council, Dr. Alhaji Mohamed Kamara, as Vice-Chairman for a one-year tenure.

Represented by the Chief Minister, Professor David John Francis said in his keynote address described WAEC as a veritable sub-regional body administering credible examinations and unifying the member countries. He lauded the Council for constantly demonstrating its commitment to academic excellence, regional cooperation and global best practices.

He stated that his government had prioritised investment in human capital development by introducing Free Quality School Education aimed at providing access for all eligible pupils and students in Sierra Leone.

He called on WAEC to continue to uphold standards and integrity in its assessment process, adding that there should always be relevance between assessment and curriculum so that the outcomes of assessment would accurately reflect the individual’s competence or attainment in relation to tasks or further studies. He also stressed the need for synergy among the various country offices of WAEC, and urged the Council to constantly deploy cutting-edge technology in its operations across.