Connectivity Providers Database

From: John Abdul Kargbo <johnabdulkargbo@yahoo.com>; To: Ma. Dolores Lizarzaburu <mlizarza@uoregon.edu>; Time: Mon, 22 May 2006 07:27:47 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: Update - Academic Network in Sierra Leone Some improvements have taken place from 2004 to 2005. Government's intentions with regards the educational system are to increase access to quality service, reduce the cost of education to parents, provide educational opportunities for many young people who could otherwise be a potential source of unrest, and provide employment possibilities for many. In lieu of these many developments have taken place in tertiary education in the country among which are the passing of the Universities Act in 2005 which saw the creation of the University of Sierra Leone and the University of Njala, and an increase in enrollment in tertiary institutions from 13850 in 2003 to 16625 in 2005. Access courses are provided at the Njala University College in all the faculties(schools) on offer; Fourah Bay College in the Pure and Applied Sciences and Freetown Teachers College. There is also distance learning on offer in the latter to promote those teachers who do not have the prerequisite requirements to enter teacher training colleges and courses are done in between terms for both the TC and HTC. Government also continues to get finacial support from donor agencies like the World Bank,UNICEF,EU, BADEA,ADB and IDB. Notwithstanding, there are still problems caused by the increase in roll and the inability to accomodate these large numbers in class rooms, staff turnover, brain drain and poor salary conditioons for staff. Also are poor laboratory and library facilities and lack of IT facilities all of which compound the lowering of standards in tertiary education. Cheers, John Abdul Kargbo <johnabdulkargbo@yahoo.com>