Chief Minister Honours ‘‘Best’’ Teachers
Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh has represented President Julius Maada Bio at the sixth edition of the Presidential National Best Teacher Awards (PNBTA), held in Kenema to honour outstanding teachers and reaffirm the Government’s commitment to strengthening the teaching profession and advancing human capital development.
Speaking at the ceremony, held under the theme: “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status and Shaping Our Futures,” Dr. Sengeh said he travelled to Kenema on behalf of President Bio to deliver two key interventions for teachers: the launch of the Teacher License Card, aimed at strengthening professionalism and quality assurance in the teaching service, and over Le100 million in awards to the winners of the sixth PNBTA.
The Chief Minister congratulated the national winners: Daniel Ellie, School Head; Maligie Thomas Bamba, Primary School Teacher; and Teddy Wisdom Kanu, Secondary School Teacher.
He recalled President Bio’s commitment to recognising the country’s best teachers and highlighted the Government’s interventions since the first PNBTA in 2021, including the recruitment of over 12,000 new teachers, training of more than 30,000 teachers, a 75 percent increase in teachers’ salaries, and the introduction of new policies, codes and regulations to strengthen the teaching profession.
Dr. Sengeh said these interventions contribute to the Government’s Human Capital Development agenda under the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) and the Big Five Game Changers. He stressed that investing in teachers is essential to improving learning outcomes, developing a skilled workforce and building the human capital needed to transform Sierra Leone into an inclusive and productive economy.
He also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to continuing the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) programme beyond 2028, noting that sustained investment in teachers and learners remains central to President Bio’s development agenda. On decentralisation, Dr. Sengeh said taking national programmes and recognition to different parts of the country demonstrates that development must reach citizens across Sierra Leone.
Welcoming the Chief Minister on behalf of the people of Kenema, the Mayor of Kenema thanked him for representing President Bio and expressed appreciation for his presence at an occasion dedicated to celebrating teachers. The Resident Minister, Gbessay Jusu Jaka Ngobeh, also addressed the gathering, alongside the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad O. Sackey; UNICEF Country Representative, Mariko Kagoshima; and TSC Chairperson, Lans W. Keifala, who spoke on the importance of teachers, professional standards and continued investment in education.
The ceremony brought together traditional leaders, religious leaders, school pupils, teachers, education stakeholders, development partners and other members of the public, providing a national platform to celebrate the contribution of teachers to Sierra Leone’s development.
Established in 2021 under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio as a flagship initiative of the Free Quality Education Programme, the PNBTA is convened annually by the Sierra Leone Teaching Service Commission to recognise excellence, innovation and dedication in the teaching profession. Over the past five editions, the awards have recognised hundreds of teachers and conferred more than 200 awards on deserving educators across the country.
The sixth edition in Kenema therefore went beyond celebrating outstanding teachers. It demonstrated the Government’s continued investment in education and human capital as part of efforts to deliver the objectives of the MTNDP and Big Five Game Changers, particularly by strengthening the education system and developing the skilled workforce required for national transformation.
The ceremony reaffirmed the national message that “The transformation of Sierra Leone begins in the classroom,” with teachers at the centre of improving learning outcomes and shaping the country’s future.
