Freetown, 12 August 2022- The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), with support from UNFPA and Irish Aid, held a training of trainers for 14 School Quality Assurance Officers and Supervisors from Koinadugu and Pujehun districts from 8-12 August. 

The training, held in Bo, was attended by representatives from the MBSSE, Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs, and the National Secretariat for the Reduction of Teenage Pregnancy, among other stakeholders.

Speaking at the opening, Mr. Charles Vandi, Director of Gender, Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs, noted that CSE is a key intervention in reducing the adolescent pregnancy rate in the country, with 21 per cent of girls having begun childbearing before age 19, according to the Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey 2019. 

Mr. Osman Kamara, Director of Curriculum and Research at the MBSSE, said the trainees would be pioneers in rolling out the CSE curriculum and cascading the training to teachers in their districts. 

A trainee from Pujehun, Kadie Norwo Kobba, said the training was a unique experience that provided a safe space for participants to have their views heard and where factual information was being provided. She said she was excited to put it into practice in her facilitation lessons learnt during the training.

The training covered a range of topics, including sessions on sexual reproductive health, gender and relationships. Trainees were also exposed to several innovative tutorial methodologies, which allow for a learner-centred approach and for learners to develop their critical thinking skills.