In an attempt to expedite the recruitment of female teachers and address the barriers to girls’ education in Sierra Leone, the Education for All Coalition Sierra Leone formally launched the Advocacy Policy Brief at its headquarters on Robert Street in Freetown.
At the commencement of the launch ceremony, Charles Desmond Kamara, the project lead, provided a comprehensive overview of the Education for All Coalition’s initiatives, highlighting its focus on enhancing the recruitment of female teachers in basic and senior secondary schools.
Marian Sallay Abu, the Director of Teachers Management at the Teaching Service Commission, emphasized the critical importance of this initiative. She asserted that increasing the presence of female teachers will contribute to creating a more comprehensive and supportive learning environment for girls across the country.
Arthur Bosco Kamara, the senior Assistant Secretary of the Sierra Leone Teachers Union and a board member of the Education for All Coalition, underscored the significance of addressing gender disparities in education.
He emphasised the necessity of implementing proactive measures to promote girls’ access to quality education.
In Sierra Leone, gender discrimination continues to impede girls’ learning and contributes to substantial gender gaps in both enrollment and completion of education. Recent statistical analysis revealed that out of approximately 91,858 teachers in the country, only 16% are female teachers in junior secondary schools, and a mere 9% are female teachers in senior secondary schools.
The launch of the Advocacy Policy Brief marks a pivotal step towards promoting gender equality in education and creating an educational landscape that is more conducive to the learning and development of all students, particularly girls.
This initiative reflects a concerted effort to address systemic barriers and enhance the representation of female educators. Ultimately, this initiative aims to foster a more equitable and empowering educational experience for the youth of Sierra Leone.