Facts and figures on schools, teachers and pupils in Sierra Leone
The following information is taken from the School Census 2019. The census report was still in draft at time of writing (March 2020) therefore the figures may be subject to change. However, they provide a good overall picture of the entire sector (private and public), with more than 11,000 schools, 83,000 teachers, and 2.6 million school children.
The Teaching Service Commission is responsible for teachers in approved (government or government assisted schools) who are on the government payroll. In 2019, there were 46,436 teachers registered by the TSC.
Teachers in unapproved schools may be registered with TSC if they hold relevant teacher qualifications. All teachers and schools in both the private and public sector must adhere to general rules.
Total Schools in Sierra Leone
|
|
Community |
Government |
Mission |
Other |
Private |
Total |
|
Pre-primary |
256 |
151 |
721 |
5 |
625 |
1,758 |
|
Primary |
881 |
1,163 |
4,412 |
7 |
691 |
7,154 |
|
J. Secondary |
347 |
166 |
784 |
3 |
333 |
1,633 |
|
S. Secondary |
95 |
61 |
305 |
1 |
161 |
623 |
|
Total |
1,579 |
1,541 |
6,222 |
16 |
1,810 |
11,168 |
The Government owns little more than 16% of schools in Sierra Leone. The majority of schools are mission schools, and there are large numbers of community and private schools. Approximately 60% of schools are approved, meaning they are government or government assisted schools – either financially or in other ways . Not all teachers in approved schools are on the government payroll.
For a school to be approved, it must meet certain criteria in terms of the number of qualified teachers, facilities, etc. While the approval of schools is a ministerial responsibility, the teaching service must ensure the majority of teachers are qualified to deliver teaching of a high professional standard through its recruitment and deployment practices, school leadership and through provision of professional development.
Total Approved and Unapproved Schools
|
|
Approved |
Unapproved |
|
Pre-primary |
728 |
1,030 |
|
Primary |
4,707 |
2,447 |
|
J. Secondary |
1,125 |
508 |
|
S. Secondary |
440 |
183 |
|
Total |
7,000 |
4,168 |
Total Female and Male Teachers in Sierra Leone
|
|
Female |
Male |
Total |
|
Pre-primary |
4,878 |
688 |
5,566 |
|
Primary |
14,284 |
33,454 |
47,738 |
|
J. Secondary |
3,155 |
16,733 |
19,888 |
|
S. Secondary |
817 |
9,024 |
9,841 |
|
Total |
23,134 |
59,899 |
83,033 |
NB: the figures above refer to teachers across all schools, including government, community, Mission and private.
There are disproportionate numbers of female and male teachers, with far more male teachers at all levels except pre-primary. The discrepancy increases at each higher level in the school system and peaks in senior secondary schools with approximately 11 times more male than female teachers. It is an important task of HR to redress the imbalance.
Teachers by Qualification
|
|
Bachelor in Ed |
Masters, PhD + ED |
HTC (Secondary) |
HTC (Primary) |
TC |
Un-qualified |
Total |
|
Pre-primary |
51 |
9 |
123 |
485 |
2,206 |
2,692 |
5,566 |
|
Primary |
454 |
39 |
1,350 |
5,666 |
22,875 |
17,354 |
47,738 |
|
J. Secondary |
2,615 |
239 |
8,679 |
954 |
1,841 |
5,560 |
19,888 |
|
S. Secondary |
3,666 |
304 |
3,029 |
166 |
223 |
2,453 |
9,841 |
|
Total |
6,786 |
591 |
13,181 |
7,271 |
27,145 |
28,059 |
83,033 |
NB: the figures above refer to teachers across all schools, including government, community, Mission and private.
Nearly a third of all teachers are un-qualified and should either be replaced or become qualified over the next couple of years. Teachers in secondary schools are generally well qualified with many degree holders but there are still considerable numbers of unqualified teachers at this level.
In primary schools nearly 2 out of every 3 teachers are unqualified.
NB: Some teachers who are considered to be unqualified may be partially educated in teaching, have valuable teaching experience, or have an education that does not directly qualify them for teaching, but is useful.
Girls and Boys School Enrolment
|
|
Girls |
Boys |
Total |
Total pupils in approved schools |
|
Pre-primary |
66,752 |
60,416 |
127,168 |
59,534 |
|
Primary |
896,191 |
874,177 |
1,770,368 |
1,372,356 |
|
J. Secondary |
226,159 |
225,526 |
451,685 |
386,027 |
|
S. Secondary |
147,696 |
157,389 |
305,085 |
273,164 |
|
Total |
1,336,798 |
1,317,508 |
2,654,306 |
2,091,081 |
NB: the figures above refer to pupils across all schools, including government, community, Mission and private.
School children make up a considerable proportion of Sierra Leone’s population and is expected to increase in the foreseeable future. The Government’s policy of free, compulsory education has created a growing demand for qualified teachers. Forecasting future demand of teachers is an important role of HR and impacts on the planning, capacity and resources of Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs).
The gender balance among pupils is improving, with more girls than boys attending primary school, and almost equal numbers in junior secondary school. The discrepancy in senior secondary school is small, with around 10,000 more boys than girls. This trend is likely to affect tertiary education in the near future, including the output of qualified teacher candidates from TTCs. It is important to promote the teaching profession to women.
This manual focusses on Government and Government-assisted schools, and teachers who are approved, registered in the teacher records database and on the government payroll.