The Sierra Leone Education Innovation Challenge

  • P Project/Program

A Active

Key Information

The Sierra Leone Education Innovation Challenge (SLEIC) is designed to increase literacy and numeracy outcomes over three years for 134,000 children. This US$18M program will support 325 public primary schools across all 16 districts of the country and has been designed with Sierra Leone's Ministry of Basic and Secondary School Education and the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation. The challenge comes after the Government's success in increasing enrollment numbers through the Free Quality School Education Policy. The Government sees value in learning from the non-state sector and in testing different approaches to improving learning.

Over the course of 3 years, the SLEIC is offering financial incentives to 5 implementing partners— EducAid, National Youth Awareness Forum, Rising Academy Network, Save the Children, and Street Child—to improve student literacy and numeracy skills, with a specific focus on girls. Providers will receive a 20 per cent premium for improvements in girls’ education outcomes, ensuring efforts are focused on an often-marginalized group. 


Lead Implementing Government(s)

Sierra Leone

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sierra Leone

Government Affiliation

Government-affiliated program

Years

2022 -

Partner(s)

Education Outcomes Fund, EducAid, National Youth Awareness Forum, Rising Academy Network

Ministry Affiliation

Sierra Leone's Ministry of Basic and Secondary School Education and the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation

COVID-19 Response

Unknown

Geographic Scope

National

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Yes

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Quality

  • Teacher training

Skills

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy

Cross-cutting areas

  • Gender equality

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Boys in school, Girls in school

Age

Not applicable or unknown

School Enrolment Status

All in school

School Level

  • Lower primary
  • Upper primary
  • Lower secondary
  • Upper secondary

Other populations reached

  • Fathers
  • Mothers
  • Other community members - female
  • Other community members - male
  • School administrators
  • Teachers - female
  • Teachers - male

Participants include

Not applicable or unknown

Program Approaches Back to Top

Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization

  • General awareness-raising/community engagement

Curriculum/learning

  • Increased availability of learning materials

Increased availability of learning materials

  • Increased availability of Math materials (rulers, protractors, calculators, etc.)

School-related gender-based violence

  • Safe and welcoming schools
  • Support in and around schools (e.g. peer counseling, adult-to-student counseling)

Teaching

  • Pre-service teacher training – pedagogy general
  • Teaching materials (e.g. lesson plans, curricula)

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Education sector plans, budgets, policies, and data systems are more gender-equitable
  • Gender parity and non-discrimination are promoted at all subjects/education levels
  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Increased literacy
  • Increased numeracy

Cross-cutting goals

  • Increased knowledge of rights