The southern region office of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (CPSS), Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) and various secondary schools in Bo have discussed strategies to curb extra classes and other illegal practices in schools.
The discussion which took place on November 12, 2020, at the ACC’s southern region office in Bo, included Christ the King College, Bo Government Secondary School, Sambagin International Academy, Centenary Secondary School and the Bo Commercial Secondary School.
ACC’s Southern Region Manager, Musa Jawara, said the discussion is part of the Commission’s effort to maintain integrity and sanity in the education sector.
He thanked principals of the various schools for their cooperation but stressed the need to eliminate all illicit financial practices, especially those related to extra classes. He said the problems associated with extra classes had led the educational policy to prohibit teachers from collecting monies from pupils for such classes.
Mr. Jawara warned that an educational system with high levels of corruption and other forms of irregularities could serve as a barrier to the Government’s human capital development goal.
Sierra Leone’s recent score of 81 percent in the ‘Control of Corruption’ indicator in the Millennium Challenge Scorecard, he said, resulted from the achievements made by the country’s governance structures in curbing acts of corruption, adding that the education sector should also be seen as a strong contributor to this.
Responding to allegations of extra classes, the National President, CPSS, Ishmael Nallo, made reference to the challenges associated with under budgeting and late payments of school fee subsidies. He however, pledged that they will continue to show maximum support in promoting the efforts of the ACC while injecting sanity in the education sector.
He called the attention of his colleagues by noting that there are still schools collecting exorbitant fees during admission; and encouraged all to work assiduously with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and Teachers’ Service Commission in bringing to book teachers who collect salaries but do not teach effectively.
The Regional President of CPSS, Matthew L. James, said the issue of extra classes stems from the untimely release of the BECE/WASSCE results, which he said sometimes result in parents and pupils urging teachers at CTA meetings to call for extra classes.
He also argued that due to the loss of time from the COVID-19 outbreak, incomplete syllabus and other school curricula activities, they are also under pressure to meet the demands of public exams.
He pledged on behalf of his colleagues to abide by the provisions of the Government’s Educational Policy.
Speaking on the role of the Board of Directors of Schools, Gassimu Mallah, Board Chairman, Bo Government Secondary School, said school Boards have a pivotal role to play in cushioning issues of extra classes and other administrative lapses in schools.
He made reference to his Board which contributed Twelve Million Leones to organize extra classes for examination candidates within the school campus, and therefore called on other schools to follow suit.
BY MOHAMED A. KABBA (PEO)
18/11/2020. ISSUE NO: 7953