‘An empty bag cannot stand upright’: The nature of schooling costs in Sierra Leone

Samonova, Elena; Devine, Dympna; Sugrue, Ciaran; Capistrano, Daniel; Sloan, Seaneen; Symonds, Jennifer

doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102500

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…As for the six other countries, although their reactivity was slightly delayed, they closed their schools one day after the discovery of the rst COVID-19 case within their territories. Niger 67 and Chad 68 suspended their classes on March 20, 2020, while Tanzania 69 , Liberia 70 , Gambia 71 , and Mozambique 72 did so on March 16, 17, 18, and 23 of the same year, respectively.…”

Section: Reactive Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 and educational resilience in Africa: How school closure revealed countries’ educational conditions

BECHE,

SII

2024

Preprint

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This study examines school closures in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic as a reflection of a country’s educational conditions. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines the sociology of crisis and decision-making, it focuses on two leading indicators: the timing and duration of school closures concerning the emergence of the coronavirus. We then correlate these factors with each country’s specific pandemic and educational context. Our data collection involved an online documentary analysis and leveraged insights from two webinars on African responses to COVID-19, conducted in March and June 2020, in which we participated. Through a categorical analysis, we classify the 54 African nations into five groups according to how they handled school lockdowns during this pandemic: resistant, proactive, reactive, post-active, and passive, demonstrating that the modalities of their school closures were not neutral. Our analysis reveals the intricate complexities of the educational conditions in these countries, providing valuable insights into their crisis management policies and governance. It offers perspectives to assess educational resilience in major crises and deepens the relationship between educational conditions and responses to these crises.

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Section: Reactive Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 and educational resilience in Africa: How school closure revealed countries’ educational conditions

BECHE,

SII

2024

Preprint

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“…However, given the socioeconomic context experienced by Sierra Leonean children, the government faces considerable challenges in delivering access to education for all. These issues are particularly acute in rural areas, and are likely to impact girls more, who have additional barriers to access due to gendered expectations regarding responsibilities and duties to the household (Devine, Samonova, et al., 2021; Samonova et al., 2021). In the past decade, GoSL has taken steps to increase universal access, a goal for the country since its independence in 1961 (Samonova et al., 2021).…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These issues are particularly acute in rural areas, and are likely to impact girls more, who have additional barriers to access due to gendered expectations regarding responsibilities and duties to the household (Devine, Samonova, et al., 2021; Samonova et al., 2021). In the past decade, GoSL has taken steps to increase universal access, a goal for the country since its independence in 1961 (Samonova et al., 2021). The Free Quality School Education program was implemented in 2018 and aimed to reduce financial barriers for children enrolling in school, providing tuition, books, and meals for students in primary schools (tuition only for secondary schools 4 ).…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Free Quality School Education program was implemented in 2018 and aimed to reduce financial barriers for children enrolling in school, providing tuition, books, and meals for students in primary schools (tuition only for secondary schools 4 ). Although the program has increased access to schooling for some, recent research has reported that the school system is critically under‐resourced, with untrained and unqualified staff, problems with teachers getting paid (Thompson, 2020), a lack of adequate and safe spaces or basic supplies for teaching (Samonova et al., 2021). 5 In addition, families are still reporting having to pay fees and struggle to afford other costs associated with schooling, such as clothing, food, and school supplies (Samonova et al., 2021).…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unveiling child trafficking: Local perspectives and context in addressing sustainable development goals in Sierra Leone

Balch,

Cody,

Okech

et al. 2024

Global Policy

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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) included the goal of combating child labor and human trafficking, but regional variations complicate efforts to address these problems. In Sierra Leone, the government has taken steps to address these issues, but challenges remain, particularly in relation to access to education, in rural areas, and for young girls. This article examines local stakeholder understandings of child trafficking, and the distinction between child labor and child work in Sierra Leone. Participants included community leaders and those with lived experience of exploitation. Findings identify complex intersections and overlaps in understandings of these terms, and the ways these connect with norms and expectations impacting children and childhood in Sierra Leone. Lessons are drawn out for local and international policy and programming to incorporate structural factors within a wider lens of child protection, reframing anti‐trafficking to focus on positive aspects of recovery and resilience.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and children’s engagement with learning in rural Sierra Leone

Smith,

Devine,

Samonova

et al. 2024

Cambridge Journal of Education

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‘An empty bag cannot stand upright’: The nature of schooling costs in Sierra Leone

Cited by 7 publications

References 27 publications

COVID-19 and educational resilience in Africa: How school closure revealed countries’ educational conditions

COVID-19 and educational resilience in Africa: How school closure revealed countries’ educational conditions

Unveiling child trafficking: Local perspectives and context in addressing sustainable development goals in Sierra Leone

The COVID-19 pandemic and children’s engagement with learning in rural Sierra Leone

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