This statement was made by Sierra Leonean President Bio after the results were published for the 2023 National Primary School Examination (NPSE) showing more girls sat for and passed the exam than boys. The NPSE score is very important in a student's life, it determines whether they can continue to secondary school and college. This is a rigorous exam and historically has been a substantial hurdle for girl students due to less emphasis on their education, interrupted schooling, etc.
Students sitting for the exam for 2023 were 1,792 greater than for the 2022 NPSE. This is an increase of approximately 1%. From the results received, the NPSE candidate entry for 2023 was 163,860 compared to 2022 when it was 162,068. The results received were for 4,790 primary schools compared to 4,635 in 2022. The entry figure comprised of 80,129 (48.9%) boys and 83,731 (51.1%) girls compared with 79,617 (49.1%) boys and 82,451 (50.9%) girls in 2022, according to the Deputy Chief Education Officer Madam Adama Momoh.
Madam Momoh's statement continued, the passes correspond to an overall pass rate of 81.3%, a boys’ pass rate of 81.6% and a girls’ pass rate of 81.1%. The overall pass rate is very slightly above the 2022 pass rate of 81.2% and the girls’ pass rate of 80.5%. Despite the 2023 girls’ pass rate being slightly lower than that of the boys, it should be noted that more girls both sat and passed the examination than boys.
It is also worth noting that 73% of the top scorers were girls!
During a recent engagement, President Bio described this moment as the best time to be a girl in Sierra Leone since the country gain independence, noting that the future of Sierra Leone is female. President Bio's aim is to stop teenage pregnancy and early marriage and increase access to education for every kid in Sierra Leone, especially girls.
Thank you to Chernon Barrie for sending this into the SGUW blog desk.