By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily Scope Reporter
The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and UNICEF Sierra Leone have reaffirmed plans to expand efforts to improve literacy, numeracy and safety in classrooms nationwide.
Minister Conrad Sackey met with UNICEF Country Representative Rudolf Schwenk last week to review ongoing programs and discuss ways to accelerate progress on foundational learning and inclusive education.
“Our priority is to ensure that every child in Sierra Leone can read, write, and learn in a safe environment,” Sackey said after the meeting.
The discussions centered on strengthening teacher training, expanding access to quality learning materials, and building data systems that allow the ministry to track performance and target resources more effectively. Officials also addressed the need for safer, more inclusive schools that support early childhood development.
Sackey acknowledged persistent funding challenges that have constrained the sector in recent years, stressing that efficient financing is essential to close gaps in early learning.
“Without strong foundations in the early years, Sierra Leone cannot expect strong outcomes later,” he said. “Effective and efficient financing remains critical to closing gaps in literacy and numeracy, especially at the foundational level.”
He credited UNICEF’s support for helping the ministry advance curriculum reform, teacher development, emergency education response, and outreach to girls and children in hard-to-reach areas.
The ministry and UNICEF, alongside partners including ChildFund, recently launched an outcomes-based funding program aimed at improving learning for children under five in selected districts. Sackey said the initiative will help scale interventions that boost foundational learning, strengthen school environments, and improve accountability in education spending.
Both sides said they would continue working to ensure measurable gains reach classrooms across the country.
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