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Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Commonwealth lauds Sierra Leone's strides in Educational Sector

The Commonwealth Secretary General, Don McKinnon, is the latest high-profile world personality to endorse Sierra Leone’s enormous education gains in a short space of time.

Speaking at the 16th Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers (CCEM) from 11-14 December 2006 in Cape Town, South Africa, the most powerful man of the second largest world body after the UN, paid glowing tributes to the country for its phenomenal achievements in the education sector, in spite of the mighty post-war challenges it faces.

Dr. Alpha Wurie giving his statement at the Commonwealth Conference

He described Sierra Leone as a model to post-war countries across the globe, and gladly shared his encounter with a one-legged boy of about 7, whom he met during his visit to a school outside Freetown after the last CCEM.

Mr. McKinnon called it an unforgettable day. The boy, he explained, stood proudly in his uniform, indicating that he was happy to be in school again after his education was interrupted by years of bloody civil conflict.

The Commonwealth Secretary General recalled the sea of smiling faces (pupils and parents), pointing to the fact that they were hopeful of a bright future.

The Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Alpha T. Wurie, received the honour of chairing the Ministerial Committee meeting, which examined the role of non-State actors in education. He, as usual, excelled to the admiration of his colleagues.

The Committee emphatically stated that the responsibility to educate the citizenry is primarily that of the State, and that agencies involved are there to complement Government’s efforts in this direction.

Link to Commonwealth lauds Sierra Leone's strides in Educational Sector: Sierra Leone News