Out-Of-School Children Study Sierra Leone
A report that sets out the most recent data on the scale of the problem of children being out-of-school (OOS) and seeks to better understand the underlying causes, and offers recommendations for addressing these.
Highlights
In Sierra Leone, more than half of 15-year-olds and above (57%) are illiterate and half of those leaving primary school are unable to read or write. Just 61% of primary school teachers are trained, which is compounded in rural areas where there are higher numbers of unqualified and volunteer teachers. In 2019, of those students who sat exams, 24% failed the NPSE and 43% failed the BECE5 preventing their progression. Compounding the issue of attainment is low enrolment exemplified in the Bo area where more than two in five of 6-11 year-olds did not attend school at the time. Girls drop out of school at a higher rate which can be largely attributed to the intersection of poverty and gender norms, involving issues such as transactional sex, early marriage, and the burden of having to perform a disproportionate share of household chores.
This report sets out the most recent data on the scale of the problem of children being out-of-school (OOS) and seeks to better understand the underlying causes, and offer recommendations for addressing these. This report is focused on the situation of girls and brings the issue of gender into each area so that readers can see the impact of gender on their area of interest.
