Sierra Leone Universities Set for New Political, Electoral Studies Curriculum
Sierra Leone has taken steps to integrate political and electoral education into the country’s tertiary education system following the validation of a new curriculum designed to strengthen students’ understanding of democratic and electoral processes.
The validation exercise was held at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown and brought together the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC), Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), university vice chancellors and members of a Technical Working Group.
PPRC Chairman Emmanuel Koivaya Amara described the initiative as an important step towards promoting responsible citizenship and political literacy among young Sierra Leoneans.
The curriculum is divided into two academic tracks: Electoral Studies and Political Studies. Electoral Studies covers areas including voter registration, electoral systems, nominations, campaigns, polling and results management, while Political Studies focuses on political parties, public participation, pluralism, internal party democracy, inclusion and peaceful political competition.
Amara stressed that civic engagement goes beyond voting and said universities should serve as centres for research and evidence-based approaches to addressing governance challenges.
Following the validation, the curriculum is expected to undergo formal institutionalisation across tertiary institutions, providing students with structured academic knowledge of political and electoral processes.
The initiative follows Recommendation 13 of the Cross-Party Tripartite Recommendations, which called for the integration of political and electoral education into Sierra Leone’s education system.