The United Methodist Church of Sierra Leone has over 300 primary schools and 30 secondary schools. Operation Classroom is in partnership with less than 20 of the schools. In Sierra Leone the school system is based on the British system, and follows—basically--our US school year. A junior secondary school is equivalent to our grades 7-9. A senior secondary school is equivalent to our grades 10-12.
The annual conference recently adopted a 2020 vision in which they have set new standards and goals for the schools. (You can read the strategic plan by clicking vision 2020.) The commitment is excellence.  One of the great needs is to help upgrade the quality of the teachers by providing more teachers the opportunity to go to college and get their degree.  You can provide a teacher a years education for less than $1500.

All Operation Classroom school related projects have one advance special number: 12922A. If you wish your gift to go to a particular school, write the special number/then the name of the school. Or you may write a check to Operation Classroom, or give a gift by credit card (see home page). Operation Classroom is dependent upon the gifts of individuals and churches to support their entire program.
Each secondary United Methodist school needs:

• 10 prescribed textbooks for each class
• Copies of the Revised Standard Bible
• Material on the Belief’s of a United Methodist
• A chaplain/counselor including guidance counseling
• A health clinic

Schools which contain both Junior and Secondary Divisions

ALBERT ACADEMY

Albert Academy is located on Berry Street in Freetown. The school began on October 4, 1904, and was named after American missionary, Rev. Ira E. Albert who was killed in a boating accident.  Rev. Albert was from Pennsylvania.  The school has grown from 6 students to 2000, and currently has a staff of 126. Albert Academy is one of the most successful institutions of learning in Sierra Leone.  Plans are to renovate the boarding house into classrooms for the Junior Secondary School.

Priorities include:

• Renovate the boarding school for the Junior Secondary School. The boarding home will container 24 classrooms. This will enable the school to move to a single shift instead of a double shift and will provide more classroom time. The renvoation cost is $2500 per room.
• 100 scholarships are needed.

BAOMA SECONDARY SCHOOL

Baoma Secondary School is in the Koya chiefdom in the Eastern District and is approximately 35 miles from Bo. The school has over 750 students and a teaching staff of 38. Baoma emphasizes self-help.  The school recently planted an oil palm plantation which in 3 years will help the school to become self-supporting.

Priorities include:

• The construction of an assembly hall so the students do not have to have chapel outside in all kinds of weather. You can assist by providing X number of square feet at $20 per square feet.
• 100 scholarships are needed.

BO CENTENARY SCHOOL

Bo Centenary Secondary School -- Bo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone. It is the administrative center of the Southern province. The school has an enrollment of more than 1800 students and has divided the school into a Junior Secondary School and a Senior Secondary School in 2010. It has two separate administrations.

Priorities include:

• Constructing 13 new classrooms
• Developing a more comprehensive vocational program with a priority on assisting in the development of the Home ec department
• 100 scholarships are needed
  

FERGUSSON MEMORIAL SECONDARY SCHOOL

(Moyamba Boys’ Secondary School)

Fergusson Memorial Secondary is a boys’ school, with an enrollment of over 450 and a staff of 28. The school is the only technical school in the district.  Bishop John Yambasu is a graduate of the school.

Priorities include:

• Construction of a 6 room vocational building. You can assist by providing X number of square feet at $20 per square foot.
• 100 scholarships are needed.

KOIDU SECONDARY SCHOOL

Koidu Secondary School is located about 225 miles from Freetown, in the diamond mining area, on the edge of Koidu Town. It was closed for 5 years during the war. During the war most of the buildings were badly damaged and some totally destroyed. Three of the buildings have been refurbished, and four others need to be done. The library was badly damaged and has been repaired and expanded by a workteam from the University of Indianapolis. Koidu Secondary has a current enrollment of over 1700 students.  

Priorities include:

• Assistance in renovation of the classrooms
• Establishing a strong vocational program
• Renovating staff housing which was destroyed during the war
• Construction of a assembly hall
• 100 scholarships are needed.
• Providing the needed books for the library

TAIAMA SECONDARY SCHOOL

Taiama is a historic town in the history of United Methodist missions in Sierra Leone. It was here that the late Dr. Charles Leader, a missionary from Indiana, built the Bible Training Institute. In 2009 an addition to the school library was constructed. Currently, Taiama Secondary School has an enrollment of approximately 500 students It is the only secondary school between the Moyamba junction and Bo.

Priories include:

• Rebuild the girls and boys dorms
  
• Renovate the kitchen and the dining hall
• 100 scholarships are needed.

MAKENI SECONDARY SCHOOL

Makeni Secondary School is located in the capital of the Northern Province. The first building was built in 1994. The second was completed in 2007 by the Rocky Mountain Area Operation Classroom. The secondary school has an enrollment of more than 600, and shares its campus with the primary school--which also has an enrollment of over 600. Minnesota OC Ministries recently completed an additional primary school building. Makeni Secondary constructed  a science and library building.

Priorities include:

• Construction of a chapel/auditorium
• Upgrading the science lab
• Assisting in the development of a more comprehensive vocational program
• 100 scholarships are needed

Junior Secondary Schools

FREETOWN UM GIRLS’ SCHOOL

Freetown United Methodist Girls’ School is currently located on Circular Drive in Freetown. The school opened in 2001 with 500 girls and now has an enrollment of 1400. It is the only United Methodist girls’ school in Freetown. It meets in a very, very crowded building and need to move to a larger campus.

Priorities include:

• Developing plans and raising funds for the new campus
• Providing desks and chairs
• Providing clinic supplies
• 100 scholarships are needed

FAKUNYA AGRICULTURAL and VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

Fakunya Agricultural and Vocational School is located near Moyamba in the chiefdom of Gandorhun. It became a United Methodist School in 2001, and has a current enrollment of 400 Vocational education is a major focus. The school emphasizes community and self help (see the duplex in the picture below).

Priorities include:

• Providing steel doors and windows to make the present buildings more secure
• Complete Construction of a science and library building.
• Establishing a science lab
• Assisting in the development of a more comprehensive vocational program
• 100 scholarships are needed for needy students

MOKANJI AGRICULTURAL AND VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

Mokanji Agricultural and Vocational School is located on the edge of Mokanji Hills, about 40 miles southeast of Moyamba in the Lower Banta Chiefdom. It has an enrollment of approximately wrp students. Mokanji school has one 7- classroom building.

Priorities include:

• Renovation of several unoccupied houses to provide staff housing
• Construction of a classroom building
• Construction of an agriculture building
• Establishing a science lab
• Assisting in the development of a more comprehensive vocational program
• 100 scholarships are needed for needy students

HERITAGE UM SCHOOL

Heritage UM School is a new school located near Kabala, the capital and largest city of Koinadugu District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone.

The city lies about 80 miles northeast of Makeni, the largest city and economic center of northern Sierra Leone and about 185 miles east of Freetown. In the fall of 2009 it opened with over 150 students.

Priorities include:

• Provide salary to teachers and scholarships for the youth
• 100 scholarships are needed for needy students
  

Primary Schools

Operation Classroom’s major primary school is the Urban Center Primary School in Kissy.

The school has a current enrollment of over 700. OC added the four classrooms (second story) to accommodate the large student body.

Before: 4 -classroom building—1 floor

Now: 8 classrooms—2 floors

Priorities include:

• Establishing a library
• Developing a more comprehensive pre-school program
• Providing scholarships for needy students.
• 100 scholarships are needed for needy students
  

Download Kissy Needs report (.pdf)

Download Kissy Nutrition Program Report 2010 (.pdf)

Other schools related to Operation Classroom

Joseph and Carolyn Wagner UM School

The Joseph and Carolyn Wagner Secondary School is located in Kenema. The school began in 2004, and has an enrollment of 300 students. The school has been meeting in the primary school buildings, as they await completion of the construction of secondary school classrooms.

Priorities include:

• Finishing construction of classrooms
• Construction of 7 more classrooms
• Constructing a library
• Fencing the campus
• Providing needed school supplies and scholarships
• 100 scholarships are needed for needy students

Operation Classroom also provides supplies for

• Harford School for Girls
• Yonibana Primary School
• Central Primary School
• Koidu Girls’ School
• Rotifunk UM School
• Shenge UM School

You may support the schools by sending your gift to:

• The Operation Classroom office marked :name of school
  
• Your local church marked; Sierra Leone Operation Classroom : 12922a
• With your credit card. Go to the home page and click DONATE and complete the donate line.