High-level delegation commends Access to Education Programme
On 16th November 2015, a high-level delegation from Ireland and the UK visited the FAWE Resource Centre on Fort Street in Freetown to see the Government’s programme for the education of pregnant adolescents.
For this joint visit to Sierra Leone, the Irish delegation was led by the Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for Ireland, Niall Burgess, and included Michael Gaffey, the global Director-General of Irish Aid. The UK delegation was led by Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Sir Simon McDonald, and Neil Wigan, Africa Director at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
This learning centre, providing formal education for 115 pregnant adolescents, is part of a national programme, led by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST), with support from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs. The programme forms part of the Government of Sierra Leone’s six to nine month Post-Ebola Recovery Plan. The programme is co-funded by Ireland and the UK, through Irish Aid and DfID, with UNFPA and UNICEF supporting the ministries in implementation.
During the visit, MEST Officials informed the visiting Delegation that the programme now has over 4,200 pregnant adolescents enrolled nationwide, with registration still ongoing. The adolescents receive formal education in learning centres and schools as per the national curriculum and also receive vital health and psychosocial outreach services.
The Irish and UK officials congratulated the Government of Sierra Leone for this landmark programme, which they considered all the more critical in a context where 28% of girls aged 15 - 19 have started childbearing in Sierra Leone, and where only one in ten girls finishes secondary school.
Speaking to Government Officials, Sir Simon noted:
“I congratulate the Government of Sierra Leone for this important step in the direction of inclusive education in Sierra Leone. Investing in education, especially ensuring that girls complete their schooling, is one of the best investments a country can make. It contributes to sustained economic growth and expands personal choices and opportunities, and enables young women to have more control over their lives. Assisting the government to provide quality education is a priority of the UK government and I am delighted to see the progress being made by the Government of Sierra Leone in this post-Ebola recovery period.”
Secretary General Burgess noted:
“Ireland strongly supports the Government of Sierra Leone’s strategy on the prevention of teenage pregnancy in Sierra Leone. However, it is also vital to ensure that girls who have become pregnant can make the best possible lives for themselves and for their children. This programme is an important first step in that direction. I am delighted to see the enthusiasm and dedication of the girls here today to complete their education. Ireland will continue to support the Government of Sierra Leone to find sustainable solutions to ensure equal access to education for pregnant girls.”
In 2015, Irish Aid provided €2.5million in support of the National Strategy for the Reduction of Teenage Pregnancy and the aforementioned programme and continues to work closely with the Government of Sierra Leone and partners on this issue.