Ministry Of Education Introduces Mask Wearing Award to Schools

January 27, 2021

By: Mohamed M. Sesay

As part of the newest strategy for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) in collaboration with the National Covid-19 Emergency Response Centre (NaCOVERC), has planned to be awarding monthly special prizes to schools that are in constant compliance with the mandatory use of face masks and other covid-19 preventive measures including hand washing and social distancing within the school campuses.

A press statement from the Ministry states that a joint monitory of schools had started on the 25^th January, 202.

The plan has been designed to ensure that  monitors, relevant Education Sector Stakeholders and the NaCOVERC officials, would announce special prizes for winners every month.

Announcement of winners are going to be done at a joint press briefing to be hosted by both NaCOVERC and MBSSE especially for schools where all pupils/students, teachers, head teachers, visitors, food vendors, and all other individuals who interact with the school, properly wear face masks and adhere to other prevention protocols.

On scheme, according to the the press statement,  the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and the NaCOVERC are going to be working with other education Stakeholders including the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU), Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (CPSS), National Council of Head Teachers (NaCoHT), National Union of Private Schools (NUPS), Association of Private Schools and Nursery School Association to spread the awareness to the general public, particularly pupils, teachers, head teachers, parents, guardians, food vendors in schools and visitors to schools.

It can be recalled that the resumption of of schools on 15^th September 2020 for pre-primary schools, and on the 5^th October 2020 for primary, Junior Secondary and Senior Secondary schools, the MBSSE and Education Stakeholders issued School Reopening Guidelines that outlined three broad objectives namely: prevention of covid-19 transmission in schools, Response and mitigation of any onward transmission of Covid-19 in schools and the Communication with parents and communities on the status of testing and infection rates in schools. 

The School Reopening Guidelines that remains valid, emphasizes the wearing of face masks as a requirement for pupils and teachers in pre-primary and secondary schools across the country.