By Patricia Conteh and Ibrahim Jalloh
November 03, 2020 (232News)
FREETOWN – The National Council for Civic Education and Development (NaCCED) in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and the Teaching Service Commission (TSC-SL) Sierra Leone converged in the North East regional headquarters of Makeni city on Monday September 19, 2020 at the Mena Hills Hotel complex for the start of a two-day civic education Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop. The purpose f he ToT, according to Patricia Conteh, Communications Coordinator at NaCCED “is to train teachers to deliver Civics as a subject of learning in schools at the basic education level (Primary 1- JSS3) starting this academic year”. “It could be recalled that Civics was part of the educational curriculum in schools in Sierra Leone until the mid-eighties. And now it has pleased His Excellency, Dr. Julius Maada Bio to reintroduce it in schools”, she said.
In President Julius Maada Bio’s maiden address to Parliament in May, 2018, he told the people of Sierra Leone that he was setting up the National Council for Civic Education and Development (NaCCED) with a mandate to develop a curriculum, syllabus and teaching and learning materials for the reintroduction of Civics as a subject at the basic education level (primary 1 to JSS 3). The Council was also charged with the responsibility to train teachers who would teach the subject in schools.
The training in Makeni targeted forty-three teachers in the four districts of the North Eastern region (Falaba, Koinadugu, Bombali and Tonkolili). The ToT will be replicated in other regions of the country (North West, South, East and the Western area) targeting over one hundred and seventy teachers in government approved and assisted schools and private schools.
The official opening ceremony for the ToT was chaired by Dr. Dennis Bright who also doubles as Chairman of the NaCCED Steering Committee. In his opening remarks, Dr. Dennis Bright stated that the reinstatement of Civics in Schools “is an entire revolution and a major paradigm shift”. He said the lack of civics in the formal educational system “has been the missing link in the development equation of the country”. For Dr. Denis Bright, “we have a social contract as citizens and it points to understanding our roles and responsibilities and how they bind us together as a people”. “In many years to come, some of you will refer to this day and event with great pride” he said.
In his welcome address, Mr. Kalilu I. Totangi, Chairman of NaCCED thanked participants for attending. He expressed profound gratitude to the members of the NaCCED Steering Committee and the Technical Committee, whose support to the Council he lauded as “invaluable”. He also expressed gratitude to the Minister of Planning and Development (MoPED) and the MoPED team “for standing by the Council throughout the process”. The Chairman also thanked Mr. Jacob Jusu Saffa, Minister of Finance “for his personal interest in the work of the NaCCED and for contributing valuable ideas to make our work comprehensive”. The Chairman held out the commitment of the Minister of Basic and Secondary School Education (MBSSE), Dr. David Sengeh “for linking us up with the Yale Jackson Institute of Global Affairs in the US, who peer reviewed our work against international standards and guided the development of our curriculum framework”. He said “the involvement of MBSSE was pivotal in linking us up with the Teaching Service Commission (TSC-SL), whose Chairperson, Dr. Staneala M. Beckley, has proven to be a worthy partner”. Chairman Totangi assured education stakeholders of the continued commitment of the Council to consultation and knowledge sharing in the work of NaCCED.
The keynote address was presented by Dr. Staneala Beckley on behalf of the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education (MBSSE), Dr. David Sengeh, who was unavoidably absent. She thanked President Julius Maada Bio for his foresight in reintroducing Civics as a subject of learning in schools. “A government will be judged by what it plans and makes of its people,” she said. What this event shows “is that this President wants to develop good citizens who can function in a democratic society”, Dr. Beckley continued. She said this event shows that this government recognizes education as a wheel that will turn the development process. Dr. Beckley noted that citizens education is an integral part the development process. She urged the teachers to use the civics curriculum to enable the students to develop life skills that could ensure they become a good and effective functional people in the society. She applauded the writers for developing the civics curriculum which she believes “will transform the notion of a lost generation.” The training, she said, is vital for the teachers because it will help them in “interpreting and delivering the civics curriculum effectively”.
Professor Joe A.D Alie, the lead facilitator of the TOT and the Chairman of the Curriculum Development team gave an overview of the curriculum development process which he described as very “timely.” He described Civics as an integral part in achieving quality education in the country. He said that they developed seven (7) books that covers Classes 1 to JSS 3.
Over the last two years, NaCCED, with the support of some eminent scholars and educationists embarked on a rigorous process to produce a curriculum framework, syllabus and 7 (seven) textbooks to achieve the President’s vision.
The aim of civic education in this regard is to present learners with different viewpoints and allow them to make informed decisions for themselves. Citizenship education is both knowledge and practice based, and the link between the two should be ever-present in most of the lessons. Thus, students should demonstrate citizenship education in the way they relate to family members, friends, other people (including those in authority) and how they comport themselves generally in society to make it violence free for others. Schools should also demonstrate citizenship education through the way they operate.
The syllabus has been designed to impart knowledge and understanding by teaching topics and concepts such as: laws and rules, democracy, justice, equality, freedom, authority and the rule of law, human rights, diversity, corruption free practices, sustainable development, and the world as a global community. The syllabus also comprises skills and aptitudes, including critical thinking, analysing information, expressing opinions, taking part in discussions and debates, negotiating, conflict resolution and participating in community action, to ensure self-awareness and self-actualization. More significantly, the syllabus covers the development of values and dispositions in the young leaners. This includes respect for justice, democracy and the rule of law, openness, tolerance, courage to defend a point of view and a willingness to listen to, work with and stand up for others.
