By Abdullai Fasineh Dumbuya
As a way to celebrate World Teachers’ Day, the Government of Sierra Leone together with stakeholders in the educational sector has recognized over sixty-four teachers across the country.
Their recognition came at the Presidential National Best Teachers’ Award event held at Bintumani Conference Centre, Freetown on the 5th of October 2023.
The Winners of the Presidential National Best Teachers Award 2023 for the category of Secondary and Technical Vocational and National Best Teachers Award 2023 Pre-Primary and Primary category were Mohamed Bassie Kamara of Birch Memorial Senior Secondary School in Makeni and Adama S. Bangura from KDEC Primary School Kambia 1 in the North-West.
Kamara and Bangura each received a cheque for 45,000 NLe (forty-five thousand New Leones), other gifts, and land.
Kamara who is the Head of the Department, and teaches English Language and Literature in his reaction said teaching is a career and believes his award will motivate other teachers to do their best.
Bangura has served as a teacher for 18 years and was proud to be one of the winners, saying it is a motivating factor for her to do more as a teacher.
Chief Minister Dr. Moinina Sengeh said "Human capital development does not stop at children’s development, it includes everybody in society and that also includes the educators. The Presidential National Teachers Award is here to stay, so it is not a political gimmick instead".
Dr. Sengeh assured the gathering of their intention to continue investing in teachers. He added that they have been doing so over the past years, citing the recruitment of about 12,000 teachers.
The Minister spoke about the need to work together in order to ensure that teachers are given the right tools, resources, and motivation to increase their efforts in upholding better education in the country.
He said the occasion was to celebrate and recognize teachers for their service to the nation.
The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) Conrad Sackey noted this year’s World Teachers’ Day commemoration under the theme “The teachers in need of education reward,” and spoke of how they have embarked on the business journey of transforming the education system in Sierra Leone.
“Our commitment to providing education for all has been unwavering,” he said.
He noted that President Julius Maada Bio has publicly committed to cut the rate of learning poverty by half by 2030. He stated that Sierra Leone has adopted an education sector plan and partnership compact which highlighted the centrality of improving foundational learning about the country’s effort to transform education.
He recalled during the government’s first term when Parliament passed into law the new Basic and Senior Secondary School Act of 2023. He also recalled the introduction of the Senior Secondary School curriculum in 2022 which came into effect in September of 2023 and introduced three categories of subjects for applied and everyday subjects.
Minister Sackey further recalled that in February 2022, they introduced the zero out-of-school strategy plan with the aim that no Sierra Leonean child irrespective of personal or socio-economic circumstances will be left behind.
“Just last Saturday we integrated some of the pregnant parent pupils who had dropped out of school due to early marriage, back into education,” he said.
He pointed out that the President had during his first term reintroduced civic education into the education sector of the country which enables pupils in schools to explore relationships with their families, local communities, the environment, the country, and the world at large. He said the President’s vision for teachers cannot be achieved without teachers serving as change agents in the transformation.
“As we celebrate World Teachers Day, we come together not just to express appreciation to teachers, but to recognize their profound impact on everyone’s life and the future of the nation,” he said.
The country held its first award on the 5th of October 2021, whilst the second was held on the 18th of October 2022. The initiative is said to be one of President Julius Maada Bio’s promises to ensure that teachers feel valued and recognized.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (06/10/23)
