Further Reading: Introduction to teacher education
Pre-service teacher education, which is offered by Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs), provides the foundation for a teacher’s professional competencies and performance in the classroom. The quality of teaching in schools directly reflects the quality of pre-service teacher education.
It is essential that teaching at the TTCs is of a very high standard and forward looking. TTC curriculums must reflect the latest curriculum taught in schools and TTCs must equip students with effective learner-orientated teaching methods. Furthermore, TTCs must provide students with a good grasp of IT and internet technologies so they can apply these in teaching and equip pupils for the contemporary labour market.
It is government policy that all teachers in primary and secondary schools must be qualified. Therefore, current teachers without a recognised certificate or degree should avail themselves of opportunities for distance and in-service training offered by TTCs to acquire the necessary qualifications.
Teacher education is offered at TTCs in all regions of Sierra Leone. Degree courses for subject specialisation are offered at universities.
Institutions responsible for teacher education
Ministry of Technical and Higher Education
The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has the overall responsibility for all tertiary education in the country and for the education of teachers and school leaders. Amongst its duties, the Ministry certifies and registers tertiary education institutions, prepares education statistics and reports, conducts supervision of institutions, resources and facilities, and ensures the quality and relevance of education.
Teacher Training Colleges
- Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) offer courses in education and teaching leading to TC, HTC primary/secondary, B.Ed., M.Ed., Ph.D. Ed., Diploma Ed.
- Offer part-time online courses leading to TC and HTC primary/secondary.
- Conduct research programmes in education.
Teacher Education is offered at the following Teacher Training Colleges:
Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone (FBC-USL), Freetown
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed.)
- Bachelor’s and Graduate Degrees in Education
Njala University (NU), Bo
- TC, HTC Primary and HTC Secondary courses
Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science & Technology (EBKUST), Makeni
- TC, HTC Primary and HTC Secondary courses
Eastern Polytechnic (EP), Kenema
- TC, HTC Primary and HTC Secondary courses
Milton Margai College of Education and Technology (MMCET), Freetown
- HTC Secondary and B.Ed. courses
Freetown Teachers’ College (FTC)
- TC, HTC Primary and HTC Secondary courses
- Distance learning programme for untrained teachers
Universities
- Offer courses leading to BSc, BA, MSc, MA, and PhD degrees. Accompanied by a Post-graduate Diploma in Education, this qualifies graduates for teaching in schools, particularly secondary school, which require teachers with subject-specialisation in 2-3 subjects.
Awarding & accreditation bodies
- West African Examinations Council (sets the criteria for admission to tertiary education)
- For HTC and below: the National Council for Technical, Vocational and other Academic Awards (NCTVA)
- For Degree courses: The Universities are awarding bodies.
TSC
The Teacher Professional Development and Performance Department in the TSC is an important partner in the education of teachers. The quality of education in schools reflects the quality of education at TTCs so coordination between TSC and the TTCs is essential.