Dr Minkailu Bah, Minister of Education, Science and Technology:

 

"Getting children back to school and learning again has been a priority for all of us since the Ebola crisis. Now, we have an opportunity to go further.

 

"In this next phase, we will focus on three core areas: first, we will enhance school approval and teacher recruitment policy; second, we will improve learning environments by adding new classrooms in at least 150 severely overcrowded schools and ensuring all schools affected have adequate water and sanitation facilities; and third, we will train at least 40,000 teachers on how to effectively deliver new core content in maths and English.

 

"With clearer policies, better schools, and more effective teaching, our education system will generate great momentum for the country’s children. 

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"School children should not be hungry. Next school year, we will introduce nationwide school feeding, with community-based ownership starting with at least two meals a week for 1.2 million children in public schools. Everyone will benefit: Student attendance and retention will in-crease, local communities will be empowered. We will be a stronger nation as a result."