Is President Maada Bio’s free education program sustainable in donor-driven Sierra Leone ?

May 11, 2018 Publisher and Chief Executive Officer KABS KANU ACTION NEWS, COMMENTARY, EXTENDED COVERAGE, Uncategorized 0

The Sierra Leone political scene has become more interesting than ever since the regime change two months ago that brought Ret. Brig. Maada Bio to power in Sierra Leone. Everyday, there are contentious issues to ponder. Yesterday , during the State Opening of Parliament, the new President Brig. Bio declared in his speech to the nation that free education, which he promised in his campaign for power, will be introduced in the country in September.
Newspapers and the social media are buzzing. We bring you some of the comments of Sierra Leoneans and supporters of Mr. Bio’s SLPP  party.
Robert Malcolm Taylor President Bio says free education will commence in September 2018/19 academic year, adding that university scholarships will be awarded to three children of teachers.
He promises to strengthen democratic institutions and shows respect for the constitution.
PAOPA SALONE FOR BETTEH
Suma Keita Jr Robert Malcolm Taylor We hope the free education is a quality education so that parents can stop paying for private schools. I support the president on this initiative.
Roland Charley Hurray for SL students. SLPP WILL PUT EDUCATION ON THE FOREFRONT OF ALL DEVELOPMENTS WE PLAN TO UNDERTAKE AND DELIVER.
Eryk Massaquoi His speech gave us hope and believe
Bridget Pious Bockarie God will continue to showers him with wisdom, knowledge and understanding to rule us well
Lux Liberite Equalite Deeno It contains a number of promises that if not fully delivered it has the proclivity of a damaging effect of his administration. On the issue of education-Our educational system lacks quality, corruption and negligence by teachers, that’s the problem. You don’t fix such a problem by making the education free. You have to make the profession attractive to degree holders, this way new graduates and other jobless professionals will be drawn to teaching. Increase the pay for teachers and by extension certain benefits must also be given to teachers.
Michael Kellie I’m strongly believe that is going to succeed cause , in his speech he was able to identify some of the problems and he was able to give out ways on how to solve these problem. That is y all of need to give our support in diverse ways.
Salifu Mansi Mansaray It’s a great speech, it has too many goodies for our country; thus let’s pray and work to materialize his intentions.
Emmanuel King For a broke country… well… according to him… we don’t stand a chance in regards of achieving half of what he’s fancifully proposed… a broke economy cannot give free education and Healthcare at the same time… if he goes ahead with it..we are going to be plunged further into poverty…
John Combay It was good to be honest. Free education is good but a step by step approach is good moving forward. Free teaching colleges across the country is too ambitious. Generating revenue and spending it is just not prudent. Government should focus on programs that can’t be done by the private sector. Infrastructure is the key!!!!!
Sheku Kutubu Konneh John Combay are you saying we should build Mamamah. when less than 30% of our population are literate. I think one of the key factors of development in any nation is education. We should appreciate the willingness has been demonstrated by the President to deliver his campaign promises.
John Combay I am against mamamah since day one. I am for education my bro. What I am saying is this, our government is raising the revenue it needs but spending the money blindly is not good. They can pay for free education (primary and secondary) for now and improve on the existing institutions instead of creating more . A step by step approach is what I am talking about. Also, because of our limited resources, our government should focus on infrastructures like roads, electricity etc . Priority should be given to infrastructure my bro.
John Combay University of SL nor even get full internet access Den u want built more college? Spend the money wisely
Sheku Kutubu Konneh We want quality education. This will not happen without having the quality teachers. The President wants to empower every district to have Teacher Training Colleges. This drive will aid us to have enough quality teachers to teach our children in the cities, Towns, Villages and remote areas.
John Combay Do we have teacher shortages ? No! Is the government able to employees teachers already in the market? No! . Improve the quality of the system u have instead of expanding. Max production isn’t quality!
Lux Liberite Equalite Deeno How would you enhance the quality of someone when the pay is low. Laudable ventures pontificated by HE Bio which to me demands serious capital investment. I want him to succeed but some of his promises are just too ambiguous. Building colleges across the land does not happen just like that. Feasibility …,
Lux Liberite Equalite Deeno We must not be moved by the beauty and manner of eloquence of expression into which those promises were accentuated. Let us reconstruct our minds and ponder hard to determine how would he achieved what he said within the limits. I am off to bed and will continue the discuss when am up.
Sheku Kutubu Konneh John Combay I strongly believe that we do not have enough trained and qualified teachers to meet the demands of the education market.
The President wants only one shift system instead of two shifts. This implied we need more schools and more trained and qualified teachers
Free Education in donor-driven Sierra Leone : How sustainable ?
By Yankuba Kai-Samba
 Another thing that is important to know as Musa Fawundu observed is the scope and sustainability of the free education. Will it funding continue to come from external sources and what plan do the government has to sustain it .

Furthermore, we are dealing with quality education that includes free books and uniform as well as teachers training .

Addressing these issues needs a clear and concise policy objectives to be able to attain sustainable delivery.

Government been forced to seek external budgetary support amid crippling financial constraints just to show it is delivery on it promises is like digging a hole to coba another hole way to run the economy.

I had called on the government to announce the time for the start of free education.

But it was a trap because I knew there was no way this new government could have raise domestic revenue in time to come up with an announcement for free education so soon.

What should be of concern and noteworthy is that Sierra Leone’s economy is donor driven by external budgetary support and the election of the SLPP administration has not changed that.

‎John Moses Kamara‎ to The Inclusive National Conversation (TINC Sierra Leone)

I have just read the full text of President Bio’s address on the occasion of the State Opening of Parliament. First reaction is that this administration seems to be in a hurry to hit the ground running on all fronts which could lead to overreach and consequent failure. A promise to review all mining arrangements and improve marine resource governance by clamping down on illegal fishing should be applauded and prioritised. So is the need to diversify the economy away from the extractive industry to tourism and other sectors. For me this is just a wish list by the new government as there is no way he could possibly achieve a fraction of that in 10 years. But give him and his aides the credit for producing this impressive list of what needs to be done, and by the way, the benefit of the doubt.

Ps. Dr Bio, Sierra Leone is a democracy and therefore you cannot forceably compel citizens to invest in agriculture as a prerequisite to hold political office, whether they are members of the SLPP or not. That is a violation of their inalienable civil rights. 🇸🇱

Hawa Kamara
I’ve lived long enough on this planet to know not to jubilate or be swayed by the colourful speeches & big or sometimes far-fetched promises made by new leaders to woo their base & rile their opponents . This has been the political trend for centuries & I just think it’s premature for people to celebrate the president’s promises/plans at this stage. If only the new government could achieve half of what is on paper, then it could be a good start for Mama Salone.
Joan Tamara Hawa just as how we respect your opinion here, it takes the same courage to allow people who want to and deem it necesary to celebrate the presidents promises to do so at will.
 Abu Bakarr Orkailkail Bangura
 Well done President Bio for making education a priority.
Augustine Kebbie Yankuba, please read and understand this mende proverb: “When my father dies, I will burst the sky; you have to start cracking it when he is still alive”. Maada Bio promised to bring free education to Sierra Leone dirung the campaign. He is not going to sit and wait until all funds are ready. He has embarked on it now to show people like you, who do not mean any good for his government and your country, that he means business. Projecting all all financial technicalities and impossibilities will not stop Maada Bio from achieving one of the most important policies in the HISTORY OF SIERRA LEONE. You have not seen anything yet.
Yankuba Kai-samba Well is this not how Salone economy has been run in the past? What is the difference in our dependence on external aid to fund the basic duty of an elected government
Zainab Sheriff Bangura It is ok to get external help, I pray they sustain the initiative, it will be a very good idea for every Sierra Leoneans.
Emy Demby The president can’t abandon such a laudable initiative because of the unavailability of ‘local’ revenue. Finding alternative means to fund the project shows leadership. If this is causing sleepless  nights and long empty days in some quarters I sympathize!
Augustine Kebbie Yankuba, please read and understand this mende proverb: “When my father dies, I will burst the sky; you have to start cracking it when he is still alive”. Maada Bio promised to bring free education to Sierra Leone dirung the campaign. He is not going to sit and wait until all funds are ready. He has embarked on it now to show people like you, who do not mean any good for his government and your country, that he means business. Projecting all all financial technicalities and impossibilities will not stop Maada Bio from achieving one of the most important policies in the HISTORY OF SIERRA LEONE. You have not seen anything yet.

John Genda $13,000 is spent on each kid in my county. Our public schools are better than most private schools. High quality education.

Yankuba Kai-samba The issue is about the means of funding free education. The issue is how to fund it.

For a start Bio told us that he would fund education through leakages. Why changed that now, rushed in to taken foreign aid . Educating our kids is one of those areas a nation cannot leave it to foreign generosity and aid.

The government must tell us how it will fund this project and how much annual budget it will locate for primary and secondary school education. More important, the government should publish how much it will cost to educate a school pupil a year.

Removing school fees means government has to pay for education. It is therefore necessary for the government to publish how much it spend to support free education, outside foreign aid.

Roger charlton Hannah Father in heaven, be the provider to all the needs of Sierra Leone and her people, as the President has lamented on them. Be by him day in and day out, in all his good thoughts for Sierra Leone. May all the good dreams of President Bio, for Sierra Leone, come through. Amen

Dauda Momoh Our political leaders in this coxutry are full of making stillborn promises,we hope and pray that all of these will be achieved by the government.Even though some of us still have questions over some ministers appointed as most of them are ** barons of incompetence with kleptomaniac fingers and sucking filaments locked in corrosive war of corruption ** this is evidence from the last administration of late president Kabba(RIP)

Manage

Dauda Momoh It is good for the Bio administration to note that * we the youth of this country are in the state of hopelessness,oppression,aggression,suppression,repression,molestation,discrimination,insecurity,uncertainty,and total neglect and abandonment that leaves us to wonder and pathetically ask for change of government.Mr.president,our condition is painful,regretful and sympathetic indeed.We hope and pray that you will use your good office to improved the conditions of the youth.* Aameen *
 Kemoh Mansaray From one moron to another. Politics in Africa is access to resources. Mr Unisa Patrick Kamara these guys can’t offer us anything new. Just take a look at the so called new direction cabinet. The resurfacing of dead woods has become the order of the day

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