The Ministry of Education Science and Technology yesterday launched a week of education activities at the Miatta Conference Center in Freetown on the theme quality education.
The launching of the education week was chaired by the Outreach Coordinator and Deputy Government Spokesman, Abdulai Bayratay who spoke about the fallen standards of education in the country and hoped that by 2035 there will be a turnaround in the educational sector.
The Minister of Education Science and Technology, Minkailu Bah said the education week starts on the 6th to the 12th December 2015.
He said the Ebola outbreak severely affected the education sector by killing lecturers, students and also caused schools to close.
He said the education system has been transformed through distance learning, recruitment of teachers and changes into the system, designed to improve on the quality of education.
The minister said access to education is also a topmost priority of his ministry and expressed frustration over the poor performance of students.
He expressed satisfaction over the compressed school calendar, radio lessons, payment of school subsidies, economic fees for university students and an improved partnership with Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and development partners.
The Minister said the ministry is focusing on sustainable development of the educational sector by decentralizing programs across the country.
Delivering the keynote address and also launching the week of education symposium, President Ernest BAI Koroma said ‘we have to provide quality education and ensure that there is collective responsibility in addressing the issues of the educational sector’.
He said problems exist in the schools, universities and also in the homes. He said parents, community teachers, community leaders and the government have a role to play to promote the education sector.
‘We have tried to recruit more teachers,’ President Koroma said and warned that ghost teachers should stay in the grave; ‘we still have issues and have agreed on the following actions: greater attention to be paid on primary schools reading writing and number work, minimum standards for all schools, provide incentive performance based financing system, improvement of school administration and Teaching Service commission, transform the process of in-service teacher training, provide support to schools, construct, furnish and equip additional schools, explore innovation with teaching and learning materials, inspectorate division transformation of university education in the country.
He said the education climate is changing for the better and Government believes that until we improve our human resource capacity we will not be able to transform the country for the better.
The President urged all and sundry to be frank and open in discussing the way forward for the educational sector so as to address the issues affecting the educational sector. We need to rediscover the Athens of West Africa,” he added.
Tuesday December 08, 2015
ADVERTISEMENT