By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
The yearly Education Week is taking place in Bo, Southern Sierra Leone.
The four day celebration has brought together, education stakeholders in the country, their international partners and school pupils to the activities which began on Monday, 22nd January, 2024. This year’s theme is: “Learning for lasting peace”, and the events are taking place at the Government Secondary School in Bo.
Chief Education Officer, Dr. Yatta Kanu told the gathering that for the first time in four years they were having the celebration outside of Freetown.
She stated that they were in Bo to celebrate the importance of education and President Julius Maada Bio’s free quality education initiative. She noted that they were also celebrating those who make education works easier from the classroom, to the Ministries of education and Colleges.
"We are not only here to celebrate, but to reflect on the educational goals that we have set for the children of this country and on the road map that we have created for accomplishing those goals. We reflect on the challenges encountered along the way and our successes," she said.
Dr. Kanu emphasized that this year’s education week is unique as it has coincided with the world education day celebrated on the 24th January every year. She said that as they celebrate, they will also be pondering about the importance of peace which she said will only reign where there is justice.
"If our younger and most vulnerable children are not given the necessary opportunity to acquire the numeracy, literacy skills as well as the skills in social and emotional learning, it means we are living them behind. Clearly or certainly they will grow up not being able to perform in areas of higher education not only in universities but even in the school systems," she concluded.
Chairman for Parliamentary Committee on Higher Education, Joseph William Lamin said education brings development and called for coordination among all educational sectors in Sierra Leone.
On behalf of Civil Society Organizations, Alphonso Manley noted that the 1.1million pupils in schools should be celebrated.
"We are celebrating the radical inclusion irrespective of one’s family background, whether being poor, every student has access to quality education. Everyone is given a second chance to go back to school even if during the course of their schooling they got pregnant,” he said.
He stated that many schools have moved to a single shift system, adding that the ministry of education has done so well to transform learning. He said the President has invested in education and students should make good use of the opportunity.
It is expected that President Bio will grace the education week celebrations before it ends on the 26th January this year.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (24/01/24)
