The Sierra Leone Education Innovation Challenge

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.