Sherman’s Nonprofit Consulting offers 11 Scholarships to Needy Students at the Wesleyan Centennial Secondary School, Kamasasa
The Sherman Nonprofit Consulting (jshermanconsulting.com) has offered 11 scholarships to students attending the Wesleyan Centennial Secondary School in Kamasasa, Tonko Limba Chiefdom, Kambia District. The scholarships take effect in September this year (2012) to the end of the school year (2013). Beneficiaries of the scholarship are as follows: Abu B. Sesay, Paul Sorie K. Sesay, Melleh K. Sesay, Philip S. Sesay, Musu M. Sesay, Sorie S. Samura, Posseh B. Kamara, Mariatu I. Kamara, Isatu S. Bangura, John S. Turay and Simon P. Samura.
The importance of education to youths cannot be underestimated if we are to have a manpower that will foresee the development of Sierra Leone in the foreseeable future.
Education serves as the means to bring about the desired change in society, to develop a generation of virtuous individuals and thus contribute to the development of good human beings. The fundamental purpose of education is to gain knowledge, inculcate the forms of proper conduct and acquire technical competency. Education serves as the means to develop oneself physically, mentally and socially. The importance of education to youths manifests itself in terms of the need to cultivate the youths of society into mature individuals. Education is important for the youths, as youth is their growing stage. It is the time to develop the principles of life, make career decisions and begin the pursuit of one’s goals.
The fundamental purpose of education is to create good human beings. Education is vital to the healthy growth and development of one’s personality. In making the ‘beings’ ‘human’ to produce ‘human beings’, lies the importance of education to youths
Low levels of education and skills mismatch reduce chances in the labor market
Investment in human capital in Sierra Leone is critical for supplying adequately skilled workers. The low level of education of young people is a significant factor in the longer unemployment spells they face. Youth education in Sierra Leone is below the average: for example, youth literacy in Sub-Saharan Africa is 76.8 per cent, lower than the 94.8 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean and 98 per cent in East Asia and the Pacific (UNDP 2004). Besides the low enrollment rates in Africa, primary school completion rates are also low: the world average was 81 per cent in 2001, while the average for Sub-Saharan Africa was just above 50 per cent. North African countries are in a better position with completion rates of 74 per cent (ECA 2004b). In most of Sub-Saharan Africa the formal primary school age does not correspond to the age range of those enrolled. Part of the gap between enrollment and attendance figures in Africa can be attributed to initial enrollment, which takes place at ages above the official age.
The low quality of education, which leads to a general lack of skills, is another cause of youth unemployment. Free education programs are often limited to primary education and provide only basic skills. High dropout rates worsen the situation further. Out-of school training would be required for these young people to qualify for jobs, but in most cases the resources for training and skills development are scarce, if available at all.
In Africa unemployment has driven many young women and girls into sex work. Struggling to support families and provide care to sick members of the household, they are often restricted in their opportunities for education and training. The lack of job opportunities and their disadvantageous social role, both in terms of assets (education and health) and cultural norms make them more likely to end up as sex workers (ILO 2005).
The need to invest in secondary education in Sierra Leone is imperative. Current completion rates for junior and higher secondary education are about 15 per cent–25 per cent. Secondary education is crucial because it provides critical higher skills and knowledge, which have become a determinant of competitiveness in the world economy. The need to vocational learning for secondary school students, while reducing costs and allowing access to rural areas is necessary. The government needs to allocate adequate domestic and external funding for a more balanced education budget between primary and secondary schooling.
Joseph Sherman, USA
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