Stalwart of the main Opposition Party All People’s Congress (APC) Dr. Sylvia Blyden has described the Free Quality School Education as a laudable and wonderful vision for the next generation of Sierra Leoneans to compete with Citizens of other Nations.

She made this disclosure during the most recent Edition of the African Young Voices (AYV) Television Hot Seat Programme.

“The vision of President Bio in terms of Free Quality School Education is intact. Where he wants to take the country, is getting the next cadre of generation to be well equipped to compete with other countries next generation. If our next generation is not educated, they definitely can’t compete,” she said.

She said presently five- and six-years old kids in Countries like Kenya and Rwanda are operating iPods and Computer Tablets, while the bulk of our kids are in the Provinces in a Poor Learning Environment and many of them were not in School, noting that if these children are not invested in now, they can’t compete in the future.

According to her, Members of her Political Party were annoyed with her recently because she praised President Julius Maada Bio for the scholarship given to female students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), adding that she praised the initiative because that is the way forward for the Practical Development of the Country. She said more should be done in the area of implementation.

The introduction of the FQSE saw a surge in the enrollment of Pupils in Schools throughout the country by about 700,000, more than 3,040 schools have been approved, more than 1,400 Teachers have been approved; 1,901 Teachers re-assessed, and recruitment process for more than 3,400 teachers completed and Parents and Guardians feel relieved from the burden of paying School Fees, buying Exercise and Core Textbooks.