By Prince J Musa in Kenema.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has targeted various secondary schools in Kenema city with messages against graft. The outreach programme was taken to a number of schools that included Holy Trinity, Nasir Ahmadiyya, Holy Rosary, Islamic and Government Secondary.
Addressing pupils at Holy Trinity, the Commission’s Education Officer East Sulaiman Sowa said they decided to embark on such an exercise so they could engage the mindset of the pupils against corruption.
He drew reference to the amended Anti - Corruption Act of 2008 that considers public examination malpractices to be offences of corruption and for the young minds to see it as the worst enemy to national development.
He said teachers in the habit of demanding monies from pupils for undeserving grades contribute to the downfall of the children, describing such teachers as enemies to the development of the country.
He spoke about the 50 million Leones fine or 5 years imprisonment for those caught facilitating examination malpractices.
ACC regional officer Kenema, Jeneba Momoh told the teachers that to get competent people in public offices in future, then “teachers have vital role to play in impacting quality education to the pupils”.
She stated that poor performance of some public officials in the work place started from early schooling to university level, saying “poor garbage in will led to poor garbage out and it will reflect on the ordinary people”.
She maintained that the salary condition of teachers should not be an excuse to be corrupt and therefore encouraged them to set a good standard so that pupils will attain education that will help them serve the nation genuinely.
She used the opportunity to present the ACC newsletters and posters depicting the fight against corruption and called on the school authorities to continue monitoring both the pupils and the teachers in ensuring that the right thing is done to attain quality education.
In his Response, the Principal of Holy Trinity Junior Secondary School Septimus Shaka Vandi lauded the move made by ACC in engaging both the teachers and pupils on the dangers of examination malpractice.
He pointed out that those who think free education is an opportunity will make serious use of it and advised the children to make use of the available chance but cautioned them that cheating in examination will deprive them of getting a good education.
Principal Vandi called on all and sundry to change the narrative and advised the pupils to take their education seriously as quality education will help them achieve their goals.
The principal of Islamic Secondary School Brima Koroma described the schools sensitization by ACC as timey, noting that “ACC’s involvement in monitoring public examination will stimulate pupils to consider their education important by taking their studies as priority”,
One of the pupils from Holy Rosary School, Mariama Karimu of SSS III, expressed delight over the ACC intervention. “We are pleading to our teachers to do their best in teaching us so we can cover the syllabus before exams start”, she said.
She admonished her colleague pupils to take their studies with all seriousness.
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