As part of the Ministry of Basic and Senior School Education (MBSSE) deliverables for the Fiscal Year 2022, the Ministry will be embarking on Phasing out double shift schooling in most schools in the country.

This disclosure was made during the ongoing Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Budget preparation process at the Ministry of Finance, Treasury Building Main Conference Hall in Freetown.

During a recent meeting with the press, the Minister of Basic and Senior School Education Dr. David Moinina Sengeh stated that many schools have gone to single shift and there are more going to single shift.

“There are some schools currently that will take a long time to transition. Schools like Government Rokel Secondary School, Government Model Secondary School among others are already overpopulated with a limited amount of classrooms. Unfortunately, there are no lands to construct more classrooms for these schools,” he said.

He said for some of these schools to return to single shift they have to reduce their enrollment every year.

He stated that in many parts of the country, schools are on a single shift and there are only three districts that are having schools with double shifts with Freetown being the primary one, noting that by next year, only a few schools in Freetown will be on double shifts.

“We want all our children to go to school in a safe and secure environment but it will take time for that to be achieved. Saint Joseph Convent Secondary School, Freetown Secondary School for Girls among other schools, there is the ongoing construction of more classrooms,” he said.

Other deliverables that the Ministry will be focusing on for the Fiscal Year 2022 is the development and approval of the new Education Act, operationalize the School Fees utilization and school approval policy, develop a new West Africa Examination council ACT, develop National Programme for post-birth support to pregnant girls, construct three Hostels for girls in three districts, establish additional Learning Centres for literacy programs, develop and roll out the Senior Secondary Education Curriculum and syllabuses, equip additional schools with science laboratories, and strengthen education service delivery through staff capacity building and additional recruitment.