Section 10, The Education Act, 2004

(1) Tertiary or higher education shall consist of all formaleducation received, after the completion of secondary schooling, in institutions demanding entry qualifications not lower than a number of General Certificate of Education Ordinary or Advanced Level subjects or both or the West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) or its equivalent. (2) In Sierra Leone, tertiary or higher education shall be provided in the following institutions:– (a) the University of Sierra Leone and its constituent colleges and other universities and their constituent colleges and institutes and such private universities as may be established by or under any law enacted for the purpose; Tertiary or higher education Technical and v o c a t i o n a l (b) polytechnics; (c) the teachers colleges; (d) technical and vocational institutes; (e) professional schools or institutes such as the National School for Nursing and the School of Hotels and Tourism. (3) The purpose of tertiary or higher education shall be - (a) to continue, widen and deepen the education gained in school; (b) to provide specialisation in one or more disciplines of knowledge and skills for which the student has the aptitude and in which he has been given appropriate preparation in school; (c) to help the student to gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for selfenhancement and to earn a living; (d) to continue development of the student in all facets of knowledge (affective, cognitive and psychomotor); (e) help the student gain positive values towards Sierra Leone and other Sierra Leoneans, especially those of other ethnic groups; (f) to impart knowledge, skills and foster attitudes that are relevant to Sierra Leone as a developing country; (g) to provide academic staff with the opportunities to do research, especially in areas relevant to the socio-economic and other needs of the country and into problems peculiar to Sierra Leone; (h) to disseminate knowledge, especially new ones and those of value to Sierra Leone; (i) to contribute to the accelerated enhancement of literacy and the widening of educational opportunities in Sierra Leone. (4) Full financial support shall be provided for the disabled who have demonstrated the capability to access tertiary education.