Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education launched a five-year National Digital Learning Strategy (NDLS) in January 2026 designed to integrate digital and AI technologies into education. The strategy addresses foundational infrastructure (connectivity and devices) alongside curriculum development and teacher capacity building, aligned with SDG 4 targets for 2030.
The NDLS is structured around four pillars: Connectivity, Computers, Capabilities (teacher training), and Content (learning materials). It explicitly acknowledges AI’s potential to provide personalized learning, address large class sizes, and support teacher professional development through adaptive programmes.
Who it affects: Primary and secondary school teachers, pupils, and school administrators across all 149 school districts; teacher trainers developing professional development courses.
What is notably missing: No binding requirement for AI ethics curriculum; no enforcement mechanism for teacher AI literacy training; no funding guarantee beyond the strategic timeframe; no specific standards for curriculum content or teacher competency assessment in AI literacy; no worker protections for displaced teachers or provisions for pre-redundancy training if administrative roles are automated.