By: CEO’s Desk, Dr. Ibrahim Seibure
At the A-Z multimedia media corperation, exploring governance themes remains a solid part of our niche and interest.
After exploring economically viable thematic areas in our last edition – tourism, agriculture and other sectors – we felt compelled to explore another vital area in nation building, which is education.
It is a truism that no individual and/or nation will develop or attain her fullest potential without resetting and investing resources in education.
When the founding father of Singapore Lee Kwan Yew was quizzed about the secret of his country`s socio-economic miracle, in his own words he said: “education, education, education”.
His response is a clear testament of the indispensable and catalytic role education plays in both personal and national development.
President Bio acknowledges such, and we believe he aims to replicate similar achievements in Sierra Leone.
Although it would take some years or a decade for such a brilliant initiative to create the anticipated impact, the temerity in doling out 22% of the country`s budget underlines a burning desire to position the educational sector for national transformation.
After winning the standard bearer position of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) while in opposition, President Bio carved his campaign message on a promise of recalibrating the entire education sector.
His campaign message was anchored on his flagship Free Quality Education (FQE) programme; within five years of its launch, the fruitful signs of a better future are tangible for all to see.
Over two million beneficiaries are in school, with the government off-setting tuition and other charges for and on behalf of parents or guardians in an inflationary economic atmosphere.
The support of bilateral and international partners remains key in ensuring the FQE programme becomes a success.
Support from donor partners is telling; the World Food Programme has assisted in funding the schools feeding programme which has helped in cushioning the financial encumbrance on the government.
The confidence reposed on the Bio-led administration by the international community by way of giving a face-lift to the education sector is evidenced by the “world’s best minister” accolade to the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), Dr. David Sengeh.
At the tertiary level, girls pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture and Mathematics (STEAM) courses are being trained in universities across the country for gratis. Efforts are also directed towards revitalising technical education.
The cumulative effects of such initiatives in the education sector will be realized in the not-too-distant future.
It could be affirmed that these achievements should not go unreported. It would be an unpardonable disservice to our esteemed African and worldwide readership if we chose to ignore the gains and turn-arounds within the education sector in the past five years of the Bio-led administration.
These achievements are worth trumpeting after several setbacks and mishaps in the sector (not least examination malpractice) when the APC party was at the helm of governance.
The spate of examination malpractice led former President Ernest Bai Koroma to institute the Professor Gbamanja Commission of Inquiry to inquire into failings in the sector and proffer solutions to save the sector.
After assuming office in May 2018, President Bio took the bull by the horn to wage a war against examination malpractice and this courageous move is gradually yielding dividend.
As a renowned and reputable media institution, the June 2023 edition of the A-Z African magazine is employing the information dissemination role of the media in highlighting the successes, realistic and comprehensive picture of the current education sector in Sierra Leone.
This is done, concomitantly, with an in-depth analysis of events and issues dominating news in Africa and the world at large such as former United States President Donald Trump`s legal wrangling and exploring China`s mediating role in the Russo-Ukraine war.
