News by email Donate

Suggestions

ebola-medics-main_article_image.jpg
REX/EYEPRESS/SIPA
World News

Sierra Leone schools open for first time in 9 months

by Hannah Tooley

The charity has been on the ground working with teachers, pupils and communities to get schools up and running but has stressed that this process will take months.

More than 8,000 children have lost parents across West Africa due to the outbreak.

Alison Schafer is World Vision's Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Specialist in the capital Freetown. She has been advising the country's government about how to best approach the challenge of rebuilding a normal life for its people.

One of the challenges faced will be that children will not be using to studying and many will have been taken out of the school system to work or marry.

Many pupils will also be living in a different environment, especially those who have lost parents and may be with other relatives, away from their schools.

She told Premier: "World Vision has been providing things like social support training to teachers over the past 6 weeks in preparation for this day and there has been reports that teachers have felt a little bit overwhelmed with the task of coming back to school and teaching students who have been out of class for quite some time.

"I think that's the reality - I think children are going to perhaps be a little excited and hyperactive to begin with and then over a couple of weeks they may start to struggle with concentration, it's going to take some time for the children to settle back into the routine of studying in school and it will take time for the teachers and staff as well."

News you can believe in. Stand with Premier Christian News today.

Your gift today ensures that Premier Christian News can press forward in strength, reaching more people with biblical truth and shaping the future of Christian thought. It’s more than just a donation—it’s an investment in renewed minds and transformed lives. 

Without continued support, the ability to create and distribute resources that strengthen faith and equip the church will be compromised. But with your help, we can grow deeper, stand firmer, and shine brighter in the culture.

Your support today is critical.

Support Us
Continue the conversation on our Facebook page

Related Articles

Sign up to our newsletter to stay informed with news from a Christian perspective.

News by email

Connect

Donate

Donate