By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
After acknowledging the delay in publishing the list for the Sierra Leone Grant-in-aid, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), Dr. Ramatulai Wurie has confirmed that over 3,000 students are set to benefit from the grant.
At a press conference held in the Ministry’s Freetown conference room on the 6th of February 2024, she assured that the list would be published by the close of business yesterday, thanking the public for their patience. She added that even though the Grant-in-aid will phase out, some components will be reserved for female Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students, persons with disability, and children of teachers.
She went further to state that, the Student Loan will be gradually rolled out for all to benefit. She informed the public that an investment conference on the Student Loan will be held to encourage public/private investments to ensure sustainability in the Student Loan Scheme.
The Minister revealed that the Kono University of Science and Technology resumed lectures on the 15th of January 2024 after opening all applications. She said that the University is currently offering various science courses where 45 students have applied for Mining engineering, 83 for computer science, 16 for Environmental science, and 14 for Agricultural Science, totaling 158 students out of the 150 they initially targeted which comprises 109 male and 49 female.
She encouraged more female students to enroll in STEM.
She explained how the government is currently using existing resources and infrastructure until the construction of the Kono University is completed. She said the Ministry plans to convert Government Technical Institutes (GTI) to community colleges to be under a host university, citing examples of the GTI in Bo to be under Njala University and those in Kono to be under Kono University. She identified lecturers’ issues to be potential problems in those universities, but that they are working with other stakeholders to solve such issues.
Dr. Wurie addressed the ongoing issues surrounding the appointment of the Vice Chancellor and Principal and the dissolution of the University Court at the University of Sierra Leone (USL). She said the decision to appoint an Acting Vice Chancellor and Principal was done in good faith to fill an existing vacuum left behind by Professor Foday Sahr who was appointed by President Julius Maada Bio to serve in another capacity.
She said that her action was after a series of engagements with University stakeholders to ensure the University is in line with the calendar of events. She cited the students’ graduation ceremony which is part of the calendar of events as the university had informed them when the graduation would be held and they wanted them to adhere to that.
About the dissolution of the University Court, Minister Wurie said she acted on the advice of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) which has the mandate to advise the Government on tertiary education. She highlighted that the University Court was found to be ineffective and created all sorts of issues that were not in line with the mandate of the University Court, so TEC advised the Ministry to dissolve it.
However, with the existing controversies, the Minister informed the public that the appointed acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Lawrence Kamara has tendered his resignation and that she has graciously accepted it. She stated that an oversight committee has been established as recommended by TEC to serve in the interim until the Ministry constitutes the University court and a Search Committee to find a substantive Vice-Chancellor.
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