The Egyptian ambassador to Sierra Leone, Mahmoud Ezzat, yesterday disclosed in a meeting with the minister of Education Youth and Sports that his government had planned to support education in Sierra Leone through technical aid, bilateral relations and cultural cooperation.
He said, “there is a long standing relationship between my government and the government of Sierra Leone which many Sierra Leoneans have benefited from by way of acquiring higher education in various disciplines at the Alhazar University in Cairo, Egypt”.
About 35 teachers plus the head of mission Mohammad Mohammad Ibrahim Ghuniem from Egypt and Secretary, he said, were currently in all the provinces of Sierra Leone to impart knowledge into Sierra Leonean students.
He added that 65 teachers had already been approved in Egypt for Sierra Leone but were expected by next year, he therefore requested the minister of Education to offer them accommodative facilities for them to stay.
Ambassador Mahmoud Ezzat concluded that there were a number of scholarships to pursue studies in agriculture, science, technology, health, journalism and defence at the defence academy in Egypt
In his welcome address the minister of Education Youths and Sports, Dr Minkailu Bah, noted that Sierra Leone had benefited a lot from Egypt through technical assistance and bilateral relationship especially in the area of education and culture.
The minister observed that after the decade-long rebel war in Sierra Leone, government alone could not do everything to boost education except through partnership and international cooperation.
The deputy director and head of Islamic institutions in Sierra Leone, Sheik Alieu Koroma, explained that Arabic education had been part of the Sierra Leone curriculum from time in memorial, adding that students offered subjects in Islamic studies at BECCE, WACCE, O and A levels.
It would be recalled that over 50 Egyptian medical doctors and other health workers are currently rendering meaningful services to the people of Sierra Leone.