By Alusine Sesay
The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education on Thursday, September 26, 20324, held a town hall meeting at the Fourah Bay College (FBC) multipurpose hall to promote quality higher education in the country with the theme: “The cost of quality higher education: A collective responsibility.”
Stakeholders from public and private universities, policymakers, students, and lecturers are among those who participated in the discussion.
The meeting was held at a time when public universities are struggling financially partly due to a huge leap in enrollment figures because of the success of the Free Quality Education.
The meeting highlighted that public universities are struggling to promote quality education due to inadequate funding. This was compounded by non-payment of fees by students, and inadequate and delay in payment of subventions. The meeting documented that fees and subvention alone are not enough to effectively manage public universities.
Experts pointed out that there is need for more resources to enable public universities for create more physical infrastructure, improve teaching and build capacities of lecturers.
It is recommended by experts and university administrators for the government to increase subvention, and for public universities to embark on research to raise more revenue and form public-private partnership and invest in income generation activities.
The Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie said that a conversation on the quality of higher and technical education is crucial because it directly affects the development of human capital, which is essential for the growth and sustainability of any economy.
She said that quality education ensures that graduates are academically proficient and equipped with the practical skills the labor market needs, adding that this is especially relevant in Sierra Leone, where their focus is to promote economic development through the development of the growth sectors as outlined in the country’s national development plan.
“Addressing the quality of education helps us tackle key challenges, such as inadequate infrastructure, curricula that is not aligned with the labour market and the need for capacity building among trainers,“ she said.
“It also creates an opportunity to involve key stakeholders—government, students, educational institutions, and communities—in taking collective responsibility for improving and maintaining educational standards.”
The minister said, “This discussion allows us to reflect on our progress, share best practices, and identify gaps that require immediate attention, whether in policy formulation, resource allocation, or partnerships. It fosters a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement, ensuring that our education system produces globally competitive graduates who can meaningfully contribute to national development.”
She said that the conversation is critical because of the importance President Bio places on young people as the foundation of Sierra Leone’s future, adding that his strong commitment to human capital development, particularly through the Free Quality Education initiative, reflects his belief that investing in the youth is investing in the nation’s prosperity. As the majority of our population, she said, young people deserve an education system that not only imparts knowledge but also equips them with the skills, innovation, and entrepreneurial mindset required to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
“By enhancing the quality of higher and technical education, we ensure that the next generation is well-prepared to assume leadership roles, drive economic transformation, and elevate Sierra Leone’s global standing. This commitment aligns with President Bio’s vision of empowering youth to become agents of change and leaders in their fields, making the discussion on educational quality a top priority for achieving that vision.”
Professor Mohamed Alghali, Chairman, Tertiary Education Commission, said that there is no sustainable financing at public universities. He said that none of the universities is providing adequate research.
“The universities are creating new programmes, but there are issues with quality because of lack of finance,” he said. “Because finance is not sustainable, we are not producing adequately equipped students.”
Professor Alghali said that the vice chancellors of public universities have a crucial role to seek funding. He said that inadequate Infrastructure and facilities are impacting poorly on products of universities.
He said that there are courses offered at universities that are not relevant to today’s economies and job opportunities.
Rev. Professor Adwin J.J. Momoh, Vice Chancellor and Principal of Ernest Bai Koroma University, said that the funds public universities are getting from government is getting thinner even though the number of students entering universities is growing. He spoke about the need for public universities to expand their finances and establish online courses. He said there are issues with teaching in public universities and they need to accept it and seek ways to improve.
Rev Fr. Dr. George A. Ernest Gbamanja representing private universities, said that fees are the main source of revenue for University of Makeni. He added that there are benefactors who normally support the institution but not on regular basis.
He said that there is a social business development unit in the university which has established poultry which is producing 12,000 eggs per day, and they are also developing fishponds, and they have small and medium businesses which generate revenue for the university.
He spoke about the need for government to support private universities because they too are supporting education.
The Minister of Technical and Higher Education said that the problems in public universities are historic. She spoke about the one percent education tax and technical fund to provide access to education and support universities to create a learning environment in terms of providing infrastructure.
“We need to strengthen systems in the university to held address the problems we have discussed, enhance the educational system and develop a quality management system,” Dr. Wurie said.
She said that her ministry is working with two institutions to develop quality management system and collect data to inform decision-making.
The Minister said that public universities need to diversify their income stream by using research and commercializing their research. She said that the government has established performance-based financing which would be access through performance.
She said everybody has a role to play to move quality of education forward. She said that the government is investing in universities.
She said that university authorities and education stakeholders should come up with policies informed by research to strengthen system, governance and monitoring at public universities to ensure that educational outcomes are attained.