Ministry of Technical and Higher Education Engages Stakeholders on Access to Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities.

The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has held a crucial stakeholder meeting aimed at strengthening access to tertiary education for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Sierra Leone. The engagement took place on Thursday, 3rd April 2025, at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room in Freetown.

Chaired by MTHE’s Permanent Secretary, Mohamed Sheick Kargbo, the meeting brought together officials from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Welfare, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), higher education institutions, and representatives from civil society organisations advocating for disability rights.

Speaking at the meeting, Professor Edwin Momoh, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology (EBKUST), raised key concerns regarding the implementation of inclusive education policies. He questioned how disability matters could be managed in line with existing legal frameworks, who qualifies as a person requiring special attention, how such information is communicated to institutions, and who should shoulder the financial responsibility for supporting students with disabilities.

The identification process for PWDs in tertiary education is becoming increasingly complex, as more students claim disability status without proper verification,” Prof. Momoh cautioned.

In response, Mawusie Dumbuya Esq., Information, Communication, and Outreach Manager at the NCPD, cited Section 14 of the 2011 Persons with Disabilities Act, which mandates free tertiary education for PWDs at accredited institutions. He noted that many private institutions have failed to comply with this provision.

Dumbuya proposed the establishment of a medical board to certify PWDs and provide official documentation for educational access. He further recommended collaboration among universities, MTHE, NCPD, and the Ministry of Health to collect data and integrate a disability category in admission forms.

Adding to the discussion, Hon. Julius Nye Cuffie, Chief Executive Officer of Disability Confidential Sierra Leone, supported the creation of a decentralised medical board to ease the verification process. He also advocated for each tertiary institution to establish a dedicated disability support office, in line with the National Framework for Mainstreaming Disability Issues.

Representing the Ministry of Social Welfare, Mariatu Bangura reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting vulnerable groups, including PWDs. She called for a dedicated committee to manage the certification process and welcomed ongoing collaboration with UNICEF and other development partners. Bangura also emphasised the need to address infrastructure challenges in higher education institutions.

Ernestina Berri, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Health, pledged continued support from the health sector to persons with disabilities and emphasised the need for sustainable funding to support disability services within universities.

Delivering the keynote address, Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Sarjoh Aziz Kamara, clarified that the current Free Quality Education programme covers only primary and secondary levels. He emphasised that any plans to extend support to tertiary-level people with disabilities (PWDs) must be well-coordinated to prevent the misuse of the system.

Deputy Minister Kamara recommended that the Ministry of Social Welfare lead the collection of data on persons with disabilities (PWDs), which would be shared with the Ministry of Technical Education and Higher Education institutions. He further proposed that students with disabilities be certified through NCPD and a medical board, rather than applying directly to universities.

A primary recommendation from the meeting was that prospective students with disabilities should first engage with NCPD for certification. Once verified, their details would be forwarded to the Ministry of Social Welfare, then to MTHE, and finally to the respective tertiary institutions.

The meeting concluded with a firm commitment from all stakeholders to improve the policy environment, strengthen institutional frameworks, and ensure equitable access to tertiary education for persons with disabilities across Sierra Leone.