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Sierra Leone: EFA-SL Organizes Global Campaign for Education
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Concord Times (Freetown)
30 April 2008
Posted to the web 30 April 2008
Ben Samuel Turay
Freetown
Despite overwhelming issues affecting Sierra Leone's education system, including overcrowded schools, teachers taking children's lunch money, lack of qualified teachers and learning materials, it is still the most effective way forward for the country.
"Education is the thing that can improve every human being and any nation," said Santos Koroma, father of two children who struggles to keep his children in school.
In order to address the difficult situation in the country the Education for All - Sierra Leone (EFA-SL) coalition, which includes the government of Sierra Leone, the UN agency for children and Action Aid, is working to ensure that conditions for school children improve.
Afrida Scott, principal of a government municipal secondary school and local attaché for the Global Campaign for Education, reminded government of its obligations as a signatory to the World Education Forum in Dakar in 2000 to provide quality education for all Sierra Leoneans.
"Our goals are to expand early childhood care and education, provide free and compulsory primary education for all, promote learning and life skills for young people and adults, increase adult literacy by 50% and improve the quality of education in the country," Scott said. She added that these goals are also part of the Millennium Development Goals, two of which focus specifically on education.
UNICEF country director Geert Cappelaere said the past decade has been a period of considerable change for the children of Sierra Leone. The child's right to education, so often taken away during the war, has only been protected as a result of the tireless efforts and steadfast commitment of all Sierra Leoneans.
According to Cappelaere the country's efforts at strengthening the education sector have been recognized by the international community, especially in the development of Education Sector Plan.
20% of the national budget has been allocated to education and many strides have been made towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals in education, but more work is needed.
Cappelaere called for a concerted effort by the government and its partners to ensure that every child in Sierra Leone gets access to quality education.
Minister of education, youth and sport Mikailu Bah said his ministry is ready to support education, but the government cannot afford to provide quality education alone.
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"We want everybody to access quality education in the country. We want support from international bodies, so that the ministry will work for quality education in the whole country."
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