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Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Conrad Sackey has responded to claims that the Ministry has failed to provide adequate teaching and learning materials to schools, pointing to a nationwide distribution of more than 523,717 literacy books and 13,500 teacher guides as evidence of the Government’s continued investment in foundational education.
The response comes against the backdrop of concerns raised during the recent teachers’ strike regarding the availability of essential teaching and learning materials in schools. According to the evidence presented by the Ministry, the distribution is being implemented across all five regions and 16 districts of Sierra Leone.
The materials are intended to ensure that every Primary One (P1) pupil has access to a literacy book, while teachers receive guides containing lesson plans and formative assessment tools to support classroom instruction and improve learning outcomes.
Minister Sackey said the intervention represents a direct financial investment of approximately US$850,000 in the foundational level of the country’s education system. He described the distribution as the fulfilment of a Government commitment to provide essential learning resources to children and teachers nationwide.
Sackey further explained that the initiative forms part of a broader, multi-year strategy to strengthen foundational learning. Procurement of learning materials for Primary Two (P2) is already underway, while the Ministry is developing materials for Primary Three (P3), forming part of a planned three-year approach to building a stronger educational foundation.
The Minister also distinguished the current distribution from the Performance-Based Financing (PBF) model, noting that the latter has a separate provision for additional school materials aimed at supporting excellence. He stressed that the nationwide distribution is a standalone Government commitment intended to benefit pupils and teachers universally.
The programme is expected to reach schools across the country, from the Waiwai Mountain to Sulima and from the Western Peninsula to the Kamboi Hills, as the Government seeks to ensure that pupils are not disadvantaged by their geographical location.
“This is not just about distributing books; it is about distributing hope, opportunity, and a brighter future,” Sackey said, maintaining that the intervention represents an important step towards improving the quality of foundational education.
The evidence presented by the Ministry therefore provides a documented basis for its response to claims concerning the provision of teaching and learning materials, while the Government says further interventions are planned as part of its longer-term education strategy.
