By Newman Anthony Levey in Bo.
Residents of Kennedy, Shellmingo and Johnny Street communities in the city of Bo have welcomed the inauguration of a new school which they say will mark an end to their struggle for quality education for their children.
The Matilda Simbo International School, which officially opened on December 20, 2019, had been under construction since 2018. The project was funded by a private citizen, Ms Matilda Simbo, an educationist.
Ms Simbo told the inauguration ceremony graced by high profile government officials, including Minister of Labour and Social Security, Alpha Timbo, that she decided to invest on a school on a piece of land she had acquired together with her late husband for their retirement home as part of her desire to see an educated Sierra Leonean population.
The urgent need for access to school meant that even while under construction, the school had to go into operation, starting with the enrolment of 148 pupils in 2018 - 75 Boys and 33 girl's – to 270 pupils in 2019.
It started as a nursery school and currently has pupils up to class six. This [2019/2020] academic year, it had seven pupils who wrote the National Primary School Exams.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony on the school ground, Julius Lansana, who chaired the ceremony, told the audience that the occasion marked the arrival of light to the Lahai - Bundu Streets, Kennedy Section. He explained that because Education was light, the establishment of a school in any community represented the arrival of light. He therefore urged parents to send their children to gain knowledge, citing the school’s motto: Excellence Through Effort.
Foday B. Kaitibie, the school’s head teacher, who spoke on behalf of its administration, gave a historical background of the institution. He noted that because they didn’t want to congest the classrooms, they only allowed 50 pupils per class for standard quality learning. He also praised the cordial relationship between the school and the community.
Ms Simbo said she and her late husband, Francis Simbo, had the cause to travel to the United Kingdom, the United States and Nigeria, among many other countries around the world, working to be able to buy the piece of land where they had intended to spend the rest of their lives in retirement. But she said the death of her husband changed everything.
"One day I came around Lahai- Bundu Street and met some school pupils under a tree, near a school that was in a very bad shape,” the proprietress explained. She recalled telling someone that she couldn’t believe that it was a school, due to the deplorable condition of the environment.
Ms Simbo said at that point she decided to build a school on her piece of land instead of a retirement home. She hoped that her decision would contribute to the national goal of restoring Sierra Leone’s lost glory in education.
While praising President Julius Maada Bio for his government’s focus on education, Ms Simbo pleaded with the administration to consider her school for government assistance. She said her immediate goal is to upgrade the school by including junior secondary and senior secondary levels to it.
Abdul Raza Saidu, Councilor for Ward 280, where the school is located in Bo City, praised the move by Ms Simbo and her team. He said as a member of the Education Committee in the Bo City Council and a resident of Kennedy, he was overwhelmed by the development, urging the community members to take advantage of the opportunity and send their children to the school.
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