After returning from collecting his award, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General Joseph F. Kamara said winning such an award was down to passion and determination and above all education.
He said he would be very happy if many more Sierra Leoneans will win this award in years to come because it will help rebrand the country and development will move at a faster rate.
The Attorney General averred that Sierra Leone needs more quality people in positions to turn around the economy and this will be possible if we put more emphasis on education for the future generation.
“Education he said is a human right. And, like other rights, it cannot be taken for granted. Across the country, more than 60 percent of the population is illiterate and we must endeavour to lower that percentage. No country has developed with such high percentage of illiterate population”
He said the challenge is daunting, but will be achieved because that is the only way the country will develop. “My dream for Sierra Leone is to strengthen our education sector, produce more educated people to run institutions including foreign ones. When we have more than 90 percent Sierra Leoneans at the helm of affairs, they will be able to win more laurels for the country and the Local Content Policy will be more effective.”
He said currently there are many jobs that Sierra Leoneans cannot take because they are not qualified, but his dream in the coming years is to make sure wherever a job is advertised at least a Sierra Leonean should be able to apply for it.
“Over the last eight years, President Koroma has shown the political will and concerted efforts can deliver tremendous results including halving the number of children and adolescents who are out of school. Moreover, the gender parity at the primary level has closed due to getting more girl child into school. Now is the time to redouble our efforts to finish what he started.”
The Attorney General said they will not stop at primary education. He said in today’s knowledge-driven economies, access to quality education and the chances for development are two sides of the same coin. He averred that they must also set targets for secondary education, while improving quality and learning outcomes at all levels. “That is what the Sustainable Development Goal on education, which world leaders have adopted this year, we aim to do.”
He said today’s students need twenty-first-century skills, like critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and digital literacy, and learners of all ages need to become familiar with new technologies and cope with rapidly changing workplaces.
Mr Kamara said he did not win such award by accident but due to good education, hard work and passion compounded with love for what he is doing. “This is the reason why I believe that education is the key for Sierra Leone to develop at a faster rate.”
“Together, we need to intensify efforts to bring the poorest and hardest to reach children into the education system. Education is a right for everyone. It is a right for girls, just as it is for boys. It is a right for disabled children, just as it is for everyone else. With education I believe many more Sierra Leoneans will win the African Leadership Excellence Award.”
Wednesday July 20, 2016
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