Wednesday, June 22 2005: Education of
the girl child has over the last few years assumed
an unprecedented prominence on the education
agenda of the Sierra Leone. Due to the very
high disparity in access and retention of girls
in schools as compared to boys,
Government in 2003 launched the Sababu Education
Project, aimed at providing more opportunities
for girls in school particularly those in Junior
Secondary School, and also encourage parents
to send their girl child to school. The project
covers the payment of school fees, school supplies
including books and uniforms.
This
initiative by government has earned the attention
of international development partners. Through
the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), school girls in five districts in Sierra
Leone are now being supported by the United
States Ambassador's Girl Scholarship Program.
The Scholarship fund is providing assistance
to 3,000 girls in the Port Loko, Bombali, Kono,
Kailahun and Koinadugu Districts. The scholarship
package includes text books, exercise books,
school supplies, school bags and uniforms. Also
included in the package is a school feeding
programme. The programme is being administered
on behalf of USAID by World Education Inc. in
collaboration with five Non-governmental Organizations:
the Forum for African Women Educationalists,
Christian Extension Services, Adventist Development
Relief Agency, the Network Movement for Justice
and Development and Centre for Human Rights
and Democracy.
The President, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
on Wednesday, 22nd June 2005, officially launched
the programme at the Port Loko Teachers College,
Port Loko.
Making
a statement at the launching ceremony, the United
States Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Mr. Thomas
N. Hull, observed that the presence of President
Kabbah at the ceremony was a manifestation of
the government's commitment to retaining girls
in school to rectify the gender imbalance.
Ambassador
Hull propounded that broadly accessible high-quality
education is a powerful instrument for reducing
poverty, inequality and improving health and
social wellbeing, building democratic society
and a basis for sustained economic growth. He
emphasized that education is a basic human right
that no child should be denied. He said that
President George W. Bush's commitment that no
child should be left behind is manifested in
his Africa Education initiative, of which the
Ambassador's Girl Scholarship Program is one
element. Ambassador Hull assured President Kabbah
that the United States of America is pleased
to be in partnership with him in his strides
to improving equality and education by keeping
girls in school, reducing illiteracy and in
helping girls and women to improve their own
lives, the lives of their families and their
communities and laying the foundation for economic
growth and democratic development.
The
Director of the AGSP, World Education Inc.,
Ms. Myriam Augustin informed her audience that
the AGSP program is being implemented in 15
countries in Africa. Although the program's
life span is only four years, Ms. Augustin expressed
hopes for the scholarship programme to continue
indefinitely because of its huge impact on the
girls, causing positive behavior change especially
the creation of confidence in the girls to compete
for first place in class.
Giving
an overview of his Ministry's intervention in
the education of the girl child, Dr. Alpha T.
Wurie, Minister of Education, Science and Technology,
stated that government in its strides has given
a boast to education resulting in an unprecedented
rise in the entry and retention of girls in
school by 300%. He said that there has been
an increase from 367,000 in the mid 1990s to
over 1,000,000 girls now in primary schools.
Dr.
Wurie also talked about the comprehensive Rapid
Education for Primary School (CREPS), which
is a hybrid three year primary school education
programme for children that have gone far above
primary school age. To further provide access
to basic education for very remote areas, the
Ministry has also started a Community Movement
for Education (COME) programme.
In his keynote address, the President, Alhaji
Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, noted that there is
a universal recognition of the paramount importance
of ensuring that all children, both boys and
girls, receive basic education of at least nine
years and of an acceptable quality. He said
that education does not only provide basic knowledge
and skills but also empowers people to take
their rightful place in society and the development
process.
The
President stated that his Government considers
education as everybody's right and this consideration
has so far guided government's education policies,
which are being implemented systematically and
diligently.
"No
country develops faster than the quality of
the output of its people, and there could be
no better vehicle than education for enhancing
health service delivery, the attainment of food
self-sufficiency and security, and economic
growth", the President stated.
In
this light therefore, Government has made commitment
to spend US$42 million in the SABABU Education
Project to cater for rehabilitation and reconstruction
of schools, provide school materials and train
teachers in a five-year period. President Kabbah
expressed deep appreciation to the numerous
partners who have supported the Sababu Education
Project and other educational programmes in
the country, and assured Ambassador and Mrs
Hull that the people of Port Loko and indeed
Sierra Leone will remain grateful for their
invaluable contribution to their educational
development.
-End-
