Sierra Leone

Background Information

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

World Bank income group

Low income

Percent of population aged 10-24

33% (UNFPA, 2023)

Total primary school age population (both sexes)

1,306,308 (UIS, 2022)

Total secondary school age population (both sexes)

1,362,666 (UIS, 2022)

Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 18 (% of women aged 20-24)

30%

Source: UNSDG , 2019

Adolescent birth rate (per 1,000 women ages 15-19)

102

Source: UN Human Development Reports , 2018

Percentage of women who ever experienced physical violence since age 15 (% of women 15-49)

61%

Source: DHS , 2019

Percentage of married women employed in the last 12 months (% of married or in-union women 15-49)

85%

Source: DHS , 2019

Education Snapshot Back to Top

Number of years of free primary and secondary education guaranteed in legal frameworks (Years)

9

Source: UIS , 2022

Percentage of upper secondary schools providing life skills-based HIV and sexuality education within the formal curriculum or as part of extra-curricular activities Percentage of schools

39%

Source: UNESCO , 2021

Proportion of schools with access to single-sex basic sanitation facilities Percentage of schools

  • Primary 70%

    (2021)

  • Lower secondary 82%

    (2021)

  • Upper secondary 100%

    (2022)

Source: UIS

Women as a percentage of teachers in tertiary education

No data available

Men as a percentage of teachers in pre-primary education Men as a percentage

Source: UIS , 2021

Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure % GDP spent on education

Source: UIS , 2021

Proportion of students at the end of primary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading

No data available

Proportion of students at the end of primary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in mathematics

No data available

Experiencing bullying in the last 12 months in lower secondary education

No data available

Youth not in education, employment or training

  • Female 35%

  • Male 31%

Female: ILO, 2018

Male: ILO, 2018


Completion rate

Primary school age
  • Female 65%

  • Male 63%

Female: UIS, 2017

Male: UIS, 2017

Lower secondary school age
  • Female 42%

  • Male 47%

Female: UIS, 2017

Male: UIS, 2017

Upper secondary school age
  • Female 18%

  • Male 27%

Female: UIS, 2017

Male: UIS, 2017


Out-of-school rate

Primary school
  • Female 15%

  • Male 20%

Female: UIS, 2017

Male: UIS, 2017

Lower secondary school
  • Female 18%

  • Male 20%

Female: UIS, 2017

Male: UIS, 2017

Upper secondary school
  • Female 40%

  • Male 31%

Female: UIS, 2017

Male: UIS, 2017

Legal Frameworks Back to Top

Presence of legislation on child protection, to prevent corporal punishment in schools

1

No protection from violence in educational institutions

Source: HerAtlas , 2022

Presence of legislation protecting the right to education without discrimination based on sex/gender

2

Only enshrines the right to education or provides for a limited protection of this right

Source: HerAtlas , 2022

Presence of legislation to protect and facilitate education of pregnant adolescent girls

5

Protection of the right to education of pregnant and/or parenting girls

Source: HerAtlas , 2022

Existence of processes to support coordinated action on gender equality in and through education by ministries, civil society, youth organizations and other actors

Data coming soon!

Existence of systematic processes to review and update curricula and learning resources, with a view to eradicating gender stereotypes and promoting gender equality

Data coming soon!

Training on gender-responsive pedagogies is embedded in teacher training programmes

Data coming soon!


Programs Back to Top

Network/Convening/Conference

Accelerated Education

Project/Program

Clean Water Wells

Funding Initiative/Portfolio

Comprehensive scholarship programme

Project/Program

COVID-19 Support for Adolescent Girls

Project/Program

Early Childhood Development

Funding Initiative/Portfolio

Education Out Loud (EOL)

Project/Program

Enable the Children (ETC)

Advocacy Campaign/Project

Expanding Political Support for Abortion Access and Rights in Sierra Leone

Funding Initiative/Portfolio

Funding For Girls Education Programs

Project/Program

Girls’ Access to Education (GATE) (Sierra Leone)

Research Project/Report/Study

Girls' Education and COVID-19: What past shocks can teach us about mitigating the impact of pandemics

Funding Initiative/Portfolio

Girls' Education Challenge

Advocacy Campaign/Project

Girls Speak Out

Project/Program

Global Programme to End Child Marriage

Research Project/Report/Study

IDInsight: COVID-19 Response Research

Project/Program

Leh Wi Learn - Sierra Leone Secondary Education Improvement Programme

Project/Program

LitClub

Research Project/Report/Study

Living Under Lockdown: Girls and COVID-19

Project/Program

Programme for Children, Sierra Leone

Project/Program

Safe Learning Model

Advocacy Campaign/Project

Safe to Learn

Project/Program

School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV)

Project/Program

School Supplies & Classroom Improvements for partner schools

Project/Program

Service-learning for WASH in schools

Advocacy Campaign/Project

Sierra Leone: Let Girls Learn

Research Project/Report/Study

The Effect of COVID-19 on Education in Africa and its Implications for the Use of Technology: A Survey of the Experiences and Opinions of Educators and Technology Specialists

Show More

Government Programs Back to Top

Show More

Transforming Education Summit National Statement of Commitment Back to Top