Education's role in reducing poverty in Sierra Leone: teachers’ view in the poverty discourse

In 2015 The United Nations General Assembly committed to a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), among them, to end extreme poverty. The purpose of this thesis is to illuminate the role education may have for the individuals succeeding to get out of poverty. It is the proposition of this author that education have an impact on poverty reduction, and therefore follows the question of what role education can have in reducing poverty. In Sierra Leone primary school is mandatory in law, nevertheless this is one of the poorest countries in the world, which raises the question of quality of education. To illustrate this idea the research is done in the form of a case study, interviewing teachers in Sierra Leone, and acquire their opinions about education, poverty, and their role as teachers. The above proposition is discussed through an analysis of their answers and earlier research. Trough the interviews, I searched for the answers to the following questions: 1. What is quality education for the teachers? 2. What kind of education do the teachers perceive as important? 3. How do the teachers perceive education's role in Sierra Leone? Prior studies indicates that there is a strong connection between education and poverty reduction. Findings confirm that education can contribute to reducing poverty, but they stress that the level of impact will depend on several factors. Education have health benefits which have an impact on poverty reduction, and statistics connects a rise in educational attainment with a decrease in diseases. Education have a positive effect on the individual, and have a role in personal development. Nevertheless, because of the challenges the country faces, certain things need to be address in order for education to reach its potential. Education has to be adapted to the needs of the country, and there has to be jobs available to meet those needs. In addition, it is imperative to have quality education that is accessible for all children