In recent years, the country has lost its standard and quality of education which has led to continuous poor performance in overall national examinations. This engagement was to assess and strengthen the idea of decentralization for stakeholders and community people in the district to take ownership and be actively involved in their children’s education process. The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Alpha Timbo said the Ministry, Education Partners, Key Stakeholders and the Community People themselves have a collective responsibility to help in the success of the Free Quality education. He added that Proprietors of schools must effectively and properly manage the affairs of schools by establishing functional bodies like Community Teachers Association (CTA), Parent Teachers Association (PTA) and the School Management Committee (SMC) which is appendage to the PTA. It is compulsory according to the ministry that all schools across the country to have the aforementioned structures established, adding that the key stakeholders of the School Management Committee must be approved by the Minister
Many stakeholders commended the government for the strides already made in the fight to maintain the Free Quality education. However, the Port Loko District Chairman said there are some chiefdoms in the district with no Secondary School and that even the areas with primary schools there are challenges with infrastructure for conducive teaching and learning environment. Lack of qualify and unapproved teachers were other concerns raised during the engagement. These challenges according to some of the stakeholders are wrecking the education system in the district and contributing to pupils’ poor performance in national examinations
It is believe that the implementation of the free education is a milestone, but the quality is yet to be achieved as the conditions of service of many teachers in the district has not yet been improved and according to the stakeholders is key to achieving quality education. The minister in response to the concerns of teachers said the ministry would soon be recruiting 5,000 more teachers and 160 inspectors and supervisors of schools across the country.
