By Foday M. Kallay
To improve foundational learning in Kono District and the country by an extension, the Sierra Leone Teaching Service Commission, through the Ministry of Basic and Senior Education (MBSSE) with funds from the World Bank, has concluded a day of intensive training for Primary 1 teachers, Headteachers, and School Quality Assurance Officers (SQAO) on literacy. The training which started on Monday 11th - Friday 15th March 2024. At the God is our Light Secondary School Compound by the Samadu Cemetery, Gbense Chiefdom, Koidu City, Kono District. The training brought together P1 Teachers, School authorities, SQAOs, TSC, MBSSE, and Master trainers.
Max Fallah Sengu, the Deputy Director of the Sierra Leone Teaching Service Commission Kono Office, said the five-day intensive training for Primary 1 teachers, heads of schools, and SQAOs on literacy. He said that it is a pilot face training for ten school in Kono District including School Quality Assurance Officers to test the learning materials that they have been prepared to for the ten targeted schools and to achieve its aim.
He said the primary teachers are their primary aim for the training, as they want to teach the pupils letters and sounds very well in their various schools, which is key to the learning process. He added that the school authorities and SQAOs would provide a monitoring oversight role, ensuring the training achieves its purpose.
He continued that Primary 1 is the key pillar for pupils' educational background, and if any house is built on a proper foundation, it is bound to collapse. That is why they want to improve the education standards in the country by starting with early school, which is the fundamental pillar of quality education.
“You cannot monitor and supervise something you don't know about, and that is why we brought in the school authorities and the School Quality Assurance Officers to be part of the training’’, he said.
The Deputy Director of Sierra Leone Teaching Service Commission Kono Office, Max Fallah Sengu, mentioned that the five days of intensive training could not be over-emphasized considering the current status of education, particularly at the Primary level in the district and the country. He said most pupils at the early primary 1, 2 and 3 could not even read and write well which has affected the educational system in the country.
The Deputy Director gave more reasons why the MBSSE, through TSC, with support from the World Bank, deemed it necessary to initiate this initiative to curb the current poor standards of early primary education and improve the education standards in the country.
The training is good, and it will aid the Teachers for quality delivery in the classrooms," he said.
He pointed out that both teachers and pupils were supplied with teaching and learning materials for the selected ten schools as pilot faces.
"We expect Teachers to confidently perform in the various schools as expected based on what they gained during the five-day training, particularly on literacy—letters, and sounds for Primary 1 pupils," he noted.
Mohamed Mansaray, the lead Master Trainer underscored the importance of the training. He said the ability to read, write, and speak correctly is very important for pupils' success, adding that any children who have difficulties in reading and writing would also have difficulties in all other school subjects. He disclosed that recent evaluations in Sierra Leone show that many pupils are not able to read a simple text fluently and with understanding. About 80% of Sierra Leonean pupils do not acquire the early reading and numeracy skills necessary to learning.
“There was missing link even though the current textbooks are good quality, does not systematically introduce reading with phonics. This is for both the Teachers and pupils" he noted.
He further stated that new learning materials have been prepared in collaboration with MBSSE and TSC with funds from the World Bank to help acquire the basic requirements for teaching methods.
“31 participants in the five days training session for ten schools, 10 Primary 1 Teachers, 10 Headteachers, and 11 School Quality Assurance Officers (SQAO)," he explained
Mohamed Mansaray pointed out that the training looked at the explicit pedagogy that is the I DO, WE DO, and YOU DO method of teaching, which will help to regain the lost glory of education in the country.
According to Mohamed Mansaray, lead Master Trainer of teaching literacy for all pupils in the Primary 1 program, the program will offer pupils, teachers and school authorities the following:
Each P1 pupil will receive one quality textbook and one workbook to learn to read and write; each P1 teacher will also receive a teacher's guide with specific lesson plans on how to teach reading, writing, and oral language; all teachers shall receive practice training that will be followed by coaching on how to teach reading with phonics, a package of thematic posters for oral language development and mini library books to read aloud and P1 timetable shall would be also adapt to include three literacy periods each day first period for reading, oral language and writing respectively. Teachers will be able to apply the quick test to help pupils improve their reading skills," he explained.
He stressed that the objective of reading is for pupils to know letter sounds, blend letters and syllables, and read short words and sentences with clear understanding.
Abdul Salam Tejan-Sie, the School Quality Assurance Officer attached to the MBSSE Kono, attested to the fact that early Primary school pupils lack basic skills to read and write well in the country based on a recent survey, which has affected the education system in the country.
He said Kono District is among the four Districts in the country that benefited from the pilot face of the literacy Development program for children's learning." This training means a lot to the Ministry of Basic and Senior School Education and TSC as it will help to improve the standard of education in the country, as plans are on the way to incorporate all Primary one schools and Teachers across the country," he said.
He said that, as MBSSE, they are optimistic that the training would be achieved in the country due to the knowledge gained and the involvement of the SQAOs in the training and, in turn, monitoring the primary one teachers in the district. He also extended tribute to the World Bank for such support to capacity the Teachers and SQAOs for the knowledge gained.
He called on all the participants to carefully utilize the knowledge gained for its intended purposes, implement what they acquired and urged similar training for 547 primary schools in Kono District.
Mohamed Kemoh Kamara, Headteacher of Ansarul Islamic Boys Primary School Division 1 Tankoro Chiefdom, applauded the MBSSE and TSC for such training. He confessed that it was timely and would help rebuild the standard of quality education in the district.
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