The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone, has received confirmation from Global Partnership for Education (GPE) of “Approval of COVID-19 Accelerated Funding to Support Sierra Leone’s Education Sector.”
The Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that “the US$ 7 million grant – effective 25th June, 2020 – 21st January, 2022 – is aimed at mitigating both the immediate and long-term disruptions to education in Sierra Leone, and ensuring that children continue to learn. It will supplement the ongoing education emergency response and can be leveraged to accelerate development of the education sector.”
“I commend Sierra Leone’s commitment to ensure that children can continue learning during this time. The longer children are out of school, the greater the risk that they will not return, especially for the poorest girls,’ said Alice Albright, GPE’s Chief Executive Officer.
“GPE’s emergency funding will help make sure no child’s education is left behind because of COVID 19.”
On 31st March, 2020, All Educational Institutions in Sierra Leone were ordered to be closed by the Government of Sierra Leone as part of its broader intervention to control the spread of the Coronavirus in the country. MBSSE quickly established an Emergency Education Taskforce (EET) with its partners and stakeholders; relaunched the Education Radio Teaching Program with the Teaching Service Commission and continued its work on the transformational education policy.
Sierra Leone’s application is one of 22 grants approved by GPE since its launching of the COVID-19 Accelerated Funding Window on 1st April 2020.
The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh said, “Human Capital Development (HCD) is the primary national development agenda for the Government of Sierra Leone. HCD is defined by food security, health and education, and this COVID-19 pandemic affects all three. There is an ongoing learning disaster that we must address with urgency particularly as related to girls. MBSSE is committed to using these GPE grant resources to accelerate our activities that focus on improving quality learning and radical inclusion – leaving no child behind.”
The Grant Agent will be the World Bank, working in close collaboration with the Local Education Group.
By George M O Williams
19/6/2020. ISSUE NO.: 7849