Over 100 Schools in 4 targeted districts in Sierra Leone are to benefit from significant infrastructural rehabilitation in 2019. On 15th November 2018, the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Hon. Alpha O Timbo received Bills of Quantities and technical architectural drawings for the rehabilitation of 100 primary and secondary schools in Bombali, Port Loko, Bo and Kenema districts. The handing over ceremony conducted in the office of the Minister, was the second stage in a process that started in September 2018, with a 20-day field survey of 40 primary and secondary schools; the review of the data received and the development of original and proposed technical drawings.
During the ceremony, the Permanent Secretary Mrs. Nancy Tengbeh expressed her appreciation on behalf of the ministry, for the technical assistance provided by the European Union in support of the field activities undertaken by engineers from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Works. The field staff carried out the survey in the 4 districts and developed all the architectural drawings of many schools that had no original plans.
Outlining one of the challenges being confronted by the technical team of engineers Eng. Sahid Conteh, Infrastructure Non-key expert from the European Union observed that “the cost of the proposed infrastructural rehabilitation has come to more than 6 Million euros, based on the needs in the field, but adjustments will need to be made based on funds available that are less than 4 million euros.”
Minister Timbo, in receiving the Bill of Quantities, called for extreme confidentiality in the handling of the documentation and promised that his primary objective was to ensure that speedy action be taken to conclude all steps that would lead to the call for related bids from private contractors and the eventual rehabilitation of the 100 schools identified across the 4 districts. “Concluding these tasks, will lead us to further support the goal of Free Quality Education as outlined by the Government, he said.”
The European Union is supporting the nation’s plans and efforts to create and maintain a sound and effective education system. An amount of 29 Million Euros has been provided by the European Union (EU) for the Support to the Education Sector in Sierra Leone programme. The programme, which started in 2016, will end in 2020 and is aligned with the nation’s Education policies and targets.
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