Schools:The long road to literacy

The majority of children in Sierra Leone now go to school for at least a part of the day. There is still need for modernisation of schools especially in the large towns - though a number of small, new schools are being provided in the rural areas. There is also a shortage of professional teachers.

In the rural areas the children often walk several miles to and from school and then have other duties to perform in fishing, agriculture or in the home to help support their families.

In Freetown, many of the schools are old and in need of major repair. The literacy rate is improving but is still low in comparison with many other African countries.