By: Mohamed Jalloh
His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has celebrated the dedication of teachers at the second Presidential National Best Teacher Awards ceremony and encouraged recipients to be more committed to teaching children in schools.
The awards, which were presented to Mr. Joseph Kamara for Primary School level and Madam Isatu Aminata Peacock for Secondary School level, were a pronouncement made by President Bio at the State Opening of Parliament in 2018, as a way to recognise and appreciate the most innovative, ingenious and dedicated teachers at district, regional and national levels.
“I want to start by congratulating all pupils who have successfully passed their transition exams this year – the National Primary School Examination, the Basic Education Certificate Examination, and the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations. We have a record number of learners who now have an option to transition into secondary school, tertiary, and higher education right through Sierra Leone. With good quality education, some are also directly transitioning into work and entrepreneurship. We are proud of you.
“But I especially want to thank all the teachers who have put in so much work for us to see this important development in our country. The education transformation that is happening in our country would not be possible without you – diligent, trained and qualified teachers. This is why we are here today. To honour and celebrate our teachers in the Second Presidential National Best Teacher Awards,” he said.
President Bio also noted that it wasn’t until 2018 when his Government took office that the transformation of teachers, teaching and the teaching profession took a great leap for the better, adding that they had so in order to address questions around access, inclusion, quality, retention, completion, and transition to technical, vocational, and higher education.
“As promised to the people of this country, we quickly expanded the Teaching Service Commission nationwide and developed a ‘Professional Standards for Teachers and School Leaders’. The Teaching Service Commission – TSC itself was established in 2011 but it wasn’t until 2016 that the Commission was inaugurated. However, it only became fully functional in 2018 – thanks to my government’s increased investment in teachers. My Cabinet has endorsed more than half a dozen policies related to Teacher Recruitment, Teacher Retention, Teacher Transfer, Grievance Redress, and Professional Development. These are not just words, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. These policies are in full implementation and I personally closely monitor them. And beyond those policies, we believe that a moment like this, where we pause to celebrate deserving teachers for their roles in classrooms, the community and the country can only be good for the profession and our country,” he concluded.
In her statement, World Bank Representative, Madam Lydia Mesfin Asseres, said teachers were important support systems to students as they served beyond being a source of model and guidance to being the most important capital in the life of the student.
She also stated that notwithstanding the Covid-19 pandemic, which obstructed many things around the world, teachers had been working tirelessly to ensure that learning went on, and Sierra Leone teachers were no exception.
Madam Asseres commended the leadership of President Bio for transforming education and making human capital development a priority and pledged the support of the Bank, Irish Aid, European Union and the FDO support to the Sierra Leone best teacher awards.
Chairperson Teaching Service Commission, Conrad Omalikeh Sackey, disclosed that they had secured funds to construct training centers for teachers.
Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr David Moinina Sengeh, told the gathering that as a government they would continue to promote radical inclusion and had now extended that to how they trained and recruited teachers.
He disclosed that over the last four years government had spent over 1 billion dollars on the training of teachers around the country.
He furthered that winners from the maiden edition of the presidential best teacher awards had been very supportive of the education system and that they continued to use their prize monies to transform education in their communities through developing learning and teaching guides, which were not only being used by their schools but by children around the country. “I believe Sierra Leone is on a path of a truly inclusive society. I do believe that 100% of our children will transition through basic education,” he ended. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SLRSA ENGAGESINSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE.
The Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) and the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), are both established by Acts of Parliament of which the former is to compliment the work of the SLP.
It is in this light that both institutions seek to synergise and closely collaborate with each other.
Against this backdrop, the Executive Director of SLRSA – Reverend Smart K. Senesie on October 18, 2022, led a high powered delegation of top management officials to meet with the Inspector General of Police, at Police Headquarters, in Freetown.
The engagement was geared towards congratulating the IGP, following his ascendancy to the highest office in the Police, and to also discuss wide range of issues that are germane to road safety enforcement.
The Executive Director was quick to make bold that the SLP’s management inclusive of the Directorate of Traffic Management and Road Safety, had tremendously been supportive to their operations; adding, that the engagement with the IGP was to continue to affirm their quest to collaborate and coordinate with the SLP, even though both institutions operate independently.
Rev. Smart equally reminded the IGP of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) they signed with the Police; of which both parties are expected to work within the framework of it. He added that even though SLRSA is enjoying collaborative approach with the SLP, they nevertheless would seek for a strengthening of the relationship.
In closing, he said that the work of SLRSA is considered incomplete without the support of the Police.
IGP Fayia Sellu thanked the Executive Director and his team for the visit, and noted that the engagement could not have come at a time better than this. He reinforced that the Police are always there to partner and support the administration of SLRSA, as part that of the SLP’s inter-agency approach.
Mr. Sellu noted that both institutions have statutory complimentary mandates to work and support each other in areas of road safety and traffic management.
Mr. Fayia Sellu acknowledged the existence of an MoU between the two institutions, and directed that the legal team of the SLP will look at the document and review same to reflect the present circumstances.
He commended the work of personnel engaged in enforcing the prohibition of motorbikes entering the central business district (CBD), but urged the two institutions to do more, as motorbikes were still seen to be breaching the rules.
Other issues discussed centred on SLRSA’s towed trucks parked at the Police Academy, at the Hastings campus, which must be removed, so as to give way for the imminent recruitment training, and also the issue of beach operations to be undertaken by SLRSA, for which they needed the Police to support them.
In conclusion, the IGP said thus: we should be building bridges rather than destroying them.
Mr. Fayia Sellu called for the Police and SLRSA to develop a joint robust approach to conducting free flow operational activities within the city.
The issue of vehicles not being road worthy but still ply the streets and cause series of road crashes, was also discussed. The IGP, on this note, encouraged the Director General to effectively monitor the situation and to take steps to remove such vehicles from the streets. He assured of the SLP’s support in areas where they (SLRSA) face challenges in the execution of their mandate.