By Aaron Bundu Lahai
On the 17th February, 2020 Vice President Juldeh Jalloh pledged his personal and the Government of Sierra Leone’s support towards the fencing of Fourah Bay College (FBC) campus.He expressed Government’s commitment to support the educational sector including a higher education institution like Fourah Bay College.
He described the fencing project as laudable. The Vice President made that statement during the 193rd Open Day and Fencing Ceremony organized by the College Administration, Fourah Bay College Student Union and the FBC Alumni at the Adjai Crowther Amphitheatre on FBC campus.
The Honourable Vice President told the audience that the division of the Education Ministry into Basic and Secondary Education, Technical and Higher Education was a demonstration of Government’s commitment to ensure efficient and quality education in Sierra Leone. He explained that the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) was created to pilot the Free Quality Education (FQE) and to ensure that Government prepares young Sierra Leoneans for university education and to provide every Sierra Leonean child the opportunity to access school.
Dr. Juldeh Jalloh further explained that the rationale behind the creation of a separate Ministry of Technical and Tertiary Education (MTHE) was to undertake the task of preparing a University for the era of Free Quality Education capable to cater for the thousands of pupils that will come out of secondary schools as beneficiaries of the FQE Program
He also projected twenty to thousand students’ enrolment for FBC in the next ten years compared to the ten to eleven thousand students presently, due to the implementation of the FQE Program.
Vice President Jalloh informed the gathering about the establishment of the University Development Fund to enable universities to build the infrastructure, expand the curriculum and to overcome some material challenges presently haunting some higher educational institutions. Dr. Jalloh underscored that the establishment of the Fund is to reiterate the New Direction Government’s commitment to support education in all circumstances.
Dr. Juldeh Jalloh stated that the Government of Sierra Leone wage bill is increasing because of the recruitment of essential public sector workers like nurses and teachers over nine thousand. He maintained that the additional over nine thousand public sector workers were recruited because President Julius Maada Bio believes in Human Capital Development in the areas of education and health among others. Vice President Jalloh stated that Human Capital Development will contribute to the development process of Sierra Leone.
He informed the administration and students of FBC and well-wishers that the Government of Sierra Leone is spending over 35% of its budget on the social sector such as education, health, water and social infrastructure. He therefore echoed the need for Government to work hard to generate additional resources in key sectors such as agriculture, mining and tourism.
The ceremony was climaxed with the formal launch of the Fourah Bay College perimeter fencing project.
