BRAC International Executive Director Pays Courtesy Call on MBSSE Leadership
The Executive Director of BRAC International Shameran Abed has paid a courtesy call on the leadership of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and the Ministry of Technical and Higher, calling for the support of the Ministries to scale up their interventions in education.
The courtesy visit took place on Thursday, February 8 2024 at the MBSSE Conference Room New England Ville Freetown.
The Executive Director of BRAC International who last visited Sierra Leone six years ago expressed his delight to be in Freetown and commend the government of Sierra Leone for gains made in the education sector since he last visited.
BRAC began working in Sierra Leone in 2008 with its principal activities being the provision of health services, education, agriculture, livestock, and youth empowerment programmes.
“Education and especially Early Childhood Development (ECD) is very important in what we do at BRAC. We have been able to achieve a lot in the education sector globally with our relationships with education ministries in countries in which we operate,” he said.
According to him, BRAC will try to raise more funding to support their work on ECD in Sierra Leone, noting that the purpose of his visit is to strengthen their relationship and to assure the MBSSE of their continued partnership and support.
The BRAC Country Director Adolphus B.W. Doe said their education interventions in Sierra Leone have extended to two more other districts in Pujehun and Kailahun added to Port Loko and Bo Districts.
“BRAC has trained teachers in infusing play in their lessons in ECD schools. We have also reviewed the ECD Curriculum, and teacher guide and have trained teachers in materials development which facilitates teaching and learning at the ECD. Our work in community engagement has created more awareness among caregivers and parents, increasing enrolment of children in our project schools,” he said.
He however stated that more needs to be done; noting that there are sixteen districts in Sierra Leone and certainly covering four districts is never enough.
The Deputy Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Emily Kadiatu Gogra welcomed the BRAC delegation to the ministry and reiterated the Ministry’s passion for ECD development in the country, highlighting the government policy of adding one year of preschool into the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) programme in the country.
She reminded the BRAC delegation of President Julius Maada Bio being the Global Champion of Foundational Learning.
The Chief Education Officer at the MBSSE Prof. Yatta Kanu commends BRAC for their contribution to education in the country, reminiscing about their last visit to Bangladesh and how BRAC has been very supportive to the Ministry.
