Higher Education Minister Encourages Female Students to Apply for Scholarship
By Abdul Rahman Bah
On Tuesday 12 September 2023, during the weekly Press Briefing of the Ministry of Information held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conference hall at Tower Hill in Freetown, Dr. Ramatulai Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education, disclosed that there are two types of scholarships available for students, Grant-in-aid and international scholarships. She encouraged female students to apply.
Mr Conrad Sackey, Minister of Basic Senior Secondary Education, in his presentation, said that the basic senior education program covers 3 sectors: Primary Schools, Nursery Junior and Senior Secondary Schools, adding that they are trying to engage the formal and informal schools, those that are not going to schools and pregnant girls, to focus on schools to build a better nation.
Mr Conrad furthered that the recruitment, retaining and improvement technics of teachers over the past three years, plus an addition of three thousand teachers into the system, of which 27% of them are female teachers, is a sign of their commitment to the development of education in the country.
Dr Ramatulai Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education, applauded the Minister of Information for this platform, where Ministries come to showcase their work, adding that her Ministry is looking at technical and vocational training, as well as University training with the aim of creating the man power to support national development in Sierra Leone.
Dr Ramatulai said that in bringing scholarship in Sierra Leone, it shows the commitment of the Bio government to education, furthering that there are two categories of scholarships: the national grant-in-aid and international scholarship. She disclosed that for the grant-in-aid, they have received 14 thousand applications from the 16 districts of the country, adding that only second year students are eligible to apply for the grant-in-aid. She encouraged more women to apply for both national and international scholarships.
In respect of the International Scholarships, she disclosed that they have China, Russia, Algeria, Morocco, Hungary, Quate, Greece, and the Commonwealth, and that these can be only accessed on the Facebook page of the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (X page techhigher) and also on notice from the Ministry.
Alphonso Manley, National Coordinator of Civil Rights Coalition (CRC), stated that the Free Quality Education is to eliminate the SSS4 and payment of fees for both government and private schools, implemented in the past five years, which is President Bio’s last year flagship program.
