Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey has commissioned 29 newly constructed ultramodern Early Childhood Development Centers in Taiama, Moyamba district.
The symbolic commissioning which was conducted in Taiama represented 29 centers in two districts, 9 and 20 in Moyamba and Karene districts respectively. The 29 brand new early childhood development centers constructed, equipped and all inclusive with specific provision of ram facilities, playing ground and tap water were jointly supported by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the Open Society Initiatives for West Africa (OSIWA) and UNICEF. This has taken the total of ECD centers to 59 across the country, which will now benefit over 4,000 children.
In an effort to provide Foundational Learning for the over 764,000 children across the country, the Minister, Mr. Conrad Sackey reiterated Government’s unwavering commitment to providing free quality school education program for all children in Government and Government assisted schools from Pre-Primary to Senior Secondary level. This he effectively articulated by pointing out Government’s expressed commitment in section 22.1 of the Basic and Senior Secondary Education Act of 2023, which states “Pre-school education is critical for optimising human capital and national development and children of Pre-school age in Sierra Leone including poor children, orphaned children and children with disabilities shall have access to Pre-school education”.
He continued to emphasise that section 22.2 particularly pronounces Government’s support of one year free compulsory Pre-school education, when a child reaches the age of five years. He added that in the 2024 fiscal budget, Government has committed to continue the recruitment of 2000 new teachers and reassessment and promotion of 2500 more.
In the company of his entourage including the Deputy Minister 1, madam Kadiatu Gogra, the Chief Education Officer, Professor Yatta Kanu, the National Programme Coordinator GPE, Mr. Emmanuel Alie and other senior officials of the Ministry, the Country representative UNICEF, Rudolf Schwenk, Chief of Education, Paula Ripamonti and staff, Representatives from OSIWA and stakeholders of Taiama, Minister Sackey emphatically stated that His Excellency the President Julius Maada Bio is the Global Champion of Foundational Learning and that he has led and is still leading by example. He emphasised that all the funding supports to the education sector that the country is receiving from across the global is solely because the President has proven his commitment and laid a clear roadmap to significantly reducing Learning poverty by 2030 in Sierra Leone.
On the sidelines, Minister Sackey embarked on small groups dialogue and bilateral engagements with parents, teachers, the Paramount Chief Representative, partners and stakeholders.
