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Rehabilitation of Basic Education in Sierra Leone. Example of a Public-Private Partnership April 11, 2002. Sierra Leone Context. Post-conflict country, civil strife, political instability for the past decade GDP declined in the 70s and 80s, in 1990 82% population under poverty line
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Rehabilitation of Basic Education in Sierra Leone Example of a Public-Private Partnership April 11, 2002
Sierra Leone Context • Post-conflict country, civil strife, political instability for the past decade • GDP declined in the 70s and 80s, in 1990 82% population under poverty line • In 2000 recovery to 3,8% growth, in 2001 5,4% growth • Positive prospects in the political and economic front • Peace agreement reached in 2001
Sierra Leone Context • Privatization 29 of the 44 State Owned Enterprises • 2001 Strategic Plan for the Divestiture of the State Enterprises, and National Commission for Privatization • Legal and Regulatory Framework underway
Education Sector in Sierra Leone • Access, Equity, Quality, Efficiency • 1990 GER of 51% for primary and 17% for secondary • Steep decline in the 1990s • 63% GER in primary 2000 and 70% in 2001 • GER for Junior Secondary is 16% • 68 % of youngsters 15-19 yrs. Out of school • Regional and Gender disparities: 34% of Girls in the north 119% of Boys in the Western area Freetown
Education Sector in Sierra Leone • Quality- 10 years to reach complete literacy and numeracy (average in the region 7) • 50% of the teachers are untrained • 1 in every 4 children has access to textbooks • 88% of the infrastructure has been partially or totally destroyed
Education Sector in Sierra Leone • Total Budget for Education in 2000 46,3M • 30,4 % of Total government revenues • Public resources for primary education 1,7% of GDP • Teacher salaries 4,2 % of GDP/capita • Extremely weak management • Lack of governance
Strengths of the Sector • Private sector has been a key player in the delivery of education services • In the post-conflict environment NGOs, missions and CBOs have been involved in the reestablishment of school services • 80% of the government-assisted schools are managed by the missions
Public-Private Partnership to rehabilitate the school system • Players: MYES, school proprietors (missions), new comers: NGOs, SMCs, NACSA • MYES Financing regulatory framework and monitoring
Public-Private Partnership to rehabilitate the school system • Service providers: missions, NGOs, CBOs, District Education Offices • Management: Project Steering Committee with 60% government 40% non-government members • Operational Manual for the Partnership Program
Partnership Program Operational Manual • Legal Framework • Roles and responsibilities • Mechanisms for submission and approval of proposals • Standards for the provision of services • Financial and Procurement Management • Monitoring and Supervision
Lessons learnt • Much too soon to derive conclusions, although this is not an example of public-private financing, it is an example of public-private partnership in which each one has specific roles to play based on their comparative advantage. • To what extent is this is a short-term strategy to cope with the emergency, and how much will be maintained as the system evolves is yet to be determined.