TY  - UNPB
UR  - http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.525504
TI  - Primary education in Sierra Leone and development partnership with Britain :progress towards achieving Education for All (EFA)
ID  - discovery10019917
N1  - Thesis: (PhD) University of London Institute of Education, 2009.
EP  - 329
AV  - public
N2  - One of the world's poorest countries, Sierra Leone, experienced a civil war from 1991
to 2002. The government has since been in the process of rebuilding the nation,
including the education sector. Yet, the challenge is that Sierra Leone is a very poor
country with about half of its national budget being donor-funded. Sierra Leone's
former colonial master and largest aid provider, Britain, is a particularly important
development partner. With donor assistance, the government introduced a free primary
education policy to achieve the international goal of EFA. The net primary enrolment
ratio has rapidly increased, from 35 per cent in 1992 to 63.0 per cent in 2004. However,
field research based on school observations, interviews with government officials,
teachers and people engaged in Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) such as
Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Faith-based Organisations (FBOs), and
questionnaires from pupils, parents, teachers, NGOs and government officials, reveals
worrying trade-offs in the quality of education provided. In addition, schools charge
parents "school fees" to run their schools under the free education policy. This is one
of the barriers to regular schooling for the vulnerable. Such findings show that the
government lacks the ability to provide adequate public services to the people. CSOs
have filled this democratic deficit and greatly contributed to the provision of education.
However, an investigation of donor-recipient relationships in this area showed that
there is a gap between the rhetoric and practice of "partnership" and "ownership" in
the development relationship. Using three development theories ? Modernisation
theory, Dependency theory and Postcolonial theory to analyse aid modality and trends
in education plans and strategies, this research argues that Sierra Leone has been in
transition with regard to establishing ownership of its national development, working
with Britain as its main partner.
Y1  - 2009///
PB  - Institute of Education, University of London
A1  - Nishimuko, Mikako
M1  - Doctoral
ER  -