The Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Turad Senessie, has told journalists in Freetown that the government of President Bio has pumped a total of Le 251 billion in the management of Universities and other Tertiary and higher level institutions for the last nineteen months.
The Deputy Minister who was giving an update on the Ministry’s drive to position Sierra Leone Tertiary level Education, indicated that they have over the past nineteen months engaged in policy reviews and designing of policies, stabilizing the salaries of lecturers and other officials of the Higher Education category.
All of these efforts, according to the Minister, are to ensure that there is quality assurance in the delivery of education and training in the country.
Mr. Turad Senessie noted that to actualize the vision of the President to build Polytechnic institutions across twelve districts in the country, the Ministry has revived twelve polytechnic institutions in various districts across the country, and that six will also be revived in the not too distant future.
He also disclosed that the Ministry has necessitated the process of reviewing the University Act of 2005 and that all critical Education stakeholders have been engaged on the process.
The Ministry, according to him, will engage the general public and other critical groups including students on 20th November in Freetown with a view to seek more suggestions on the review.
Minister Turad also disclosed arrangements so far to also review the Tertiary Education Commission Act of 2001 amongst others.
The Deputy Minister also underscored the point that government for the first time will roll out a National Qualification Framework that will create a roadmap on how people who want to leave the academia for professional fields would go.
Minister Turad also disclosed that enrollment level in tertiary institutions across the country currently stands at 54,300, with 5,028 staff and lecturers.
The Deputy Minister amongst other things also spoke on the conduct of a NUSS election in the next coming days and the award of 2,450, 000 grants-in-aids to students.
Government, he also claimed, has provided 562 foreign scholarships to students in various countries.