Off to a Great Start: The 2023-2024 School Year Begins
Published Mon, Sep 25, 2023
Written by Dana Kaltenberger
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The start of a new school year is always an exciting time for students, teachers, and parents alike. This may be especially true in Sierra Leone, where education was in past years more of a remote dream than a real possibility for most.
EduNations’ mission to provide free, high-quality education aligns well with the high national priority given to improving education as the best way to a better future for the nation of seven million. While the government of Sierra Leone is making significant investments in the education sector, they are especially happy to cooperate with EduNations which has had such excellent results working in the six remote villages where government resources can’t reach.
While the school year starts for students in September, EduNations’ staff were preparing well in advance of the opening day. This year, 118 EduNations teacher gathered in Rokassa for 3 days of intense training with facilitators from the Ministry of Education and lecturers from universities across Sierra Leone. Training modules included the updated Senior Secondary School curriculum, the teachers’ code of conduct, teaching methodology, classroom management, as well as teaching in a Christian school where development of character is a goal.
Mr. Mohamed Lamin Kabia, an EduNations teacher said, “My best days in life are being around my students and am always yearning for this day. Vacation is over, and school is welcoming us for a greater future.”
Classes began on September 11th, and student registration is expected to continue for at least two weeks. EduNations expects a total of 3700 students across the fifteen schools in the six remote villages. The average class size is approximately 35 – 50 students/class. The school year is divided into three terms: September to December, January to early April, and mid-April to June.
Students are jubilantly thanking donors and praising God when on the first day they receive their school supplies including pens, pencils, rulers, mathematical set, files, exercise books, and a set of uniforms. Tommela Kargobai, a 4th-grade pupil, said, “I wish the donors could see our faces so they could know just how much we appreciate the golden treasure of gifts. We pray for our supporters!”
Muna Sasso a 12th-grade student said; “Thank God for another school year. We are back with the blessings of EduNations. If it were not for EduNations, I would have never reached 12th-grade. Praise God for all our donors!”
Thank you for making the new school year a time of hope and optimism. While challenges remain, EduNations’ commitment to education, combined with the dedication of teachers, parents, and students, “ignites hope” for the future of three thousand seven hundred children who now have the chance to reach their potential.
By Michael Turay, Education Secretary