By Prince J. Musa in Kenema
Minister of Information and Communication, Abdul Rahman Swaray, has called on teachers to espouse patriotism and nationalism in the execution of their duties as educators.
Mr Swaray said teachers should ensure that the best quality education is provided for the children of Sierra Leone to prepare them for the future challenges facing the country.
“The foundation for any nation to develop lies on the standard of education given to the children,” he said in a speech at the inauguration of a 10-classroom block in the Kenema Islamic Secondary School (KISS). The Kenema Islamic Secondary School Old Students Association (KISSOSA) financed the construction project which the association says is their contribution to the government’s free quality education program.
KISS is one of the leading secondary schools in the country and it has provided education for many Sierra Leoneans, some of whom have held prominent positions in government as well as in the private sector.
Mr Swaray, an alumnus of KISS since late 1980’s, was invited as guest-of-honour at the inauguration ceremony last week. He informed the gathering that the Bio-led administration has put premium on human resources development with education as the foundation.
KISSOSA, Mr Swaray added, is complementing government’s effort to upgrade the standard of education in the eastern region.
His speech touched on wide-ranging issues including the topical issue of exams malpractice and concerns of teachers.
Kenema too has had its fair share of the controversy around exams malpractice. Swarray said his government would not tolerate it.
The Minister was emphatic on his comment about the attitude of a “few teachers” who are inclined to “misdirecting devoted and patriotic teachers at the detriment of the state." He singled out the issue of teachers issuing grades for sex and money, noting that all these have contributed to a “drastic drop in the standard of education” under the past government. He warned that the SLPP-led government would not accept such behavior.
Minister Swaray noted that the government is looking into the concerns of teachers, as evidenced by the current reviewing of their terms and conditions of service through the Teaching Service Commission.
“The progressive development of this nation desires progressive thinking,” he said, before cautioning the pupils of KISS to focus on their studies and to eschew materialism. He noted that the government is providing a lot of opportunities for Sierra Leoneans to learn, citing scholarship for girls offering science courses at University level.
High Court Judge, Justice Tonia Bawa Banett, is also a member of KISSOSA. She commended KISSOSA members for demonstrating appreciation of the school from which they acquired their academic studies to become who they are in the society. Justice Banett, who chaired the ceremony, told the KISSOSA members that this is the right time to give back to their Alma mater by working with the school administration to improve the standard of the school both in terms of infrastructure, academic and moral discipline.
This is the second intervention of KISSOSA at KISS. The first intervention back in 2014 entailed the rehabilitation of the entire building of the school and provision of furniture.
Christiana Mabindi Momoh, a teacher in the school and an old student, praised the role KOSSISA is playing in the development of the school and urged its members to continue in the direction. While thanking Minister Swaray in particular for his role in the provision of an internet facility in the school, Ms Momoh outlined their next projects which are the construction of an Assembly Hall, a school fence and a multi-purpose building.
Patrick Lebbie, president of KISSOSA, noted that KISS had been among the best schools for academic excellence in the country over the years, but he lamented the existing factors which have been responsible for the poor performance of pupils in public exams. This situation, he said, has been a major concern for the Old Students.
Lebbie stated that the association believes that the school has contributed immensely to the human resource base of Sierra Leone. The KISSOSA presidents also said the old students have decided to work with the school administration to restore the school’s image academically and morally.
"The 10-classroom building project started with Le3million, but with commitment and collaboration we have succeeded to complete it,” he said.
The KISSOSA president also cautioned the pupils of the school to prioritize their studies so that they will continue to serve as future KISSOSA members to develop the school.
Brima Koroma, Principal of KISS described the event as another developmental milestone for the school. He said the construction project has proved that the association has done much to them and that they were determined to do all they could to put the name of the school back on the map.
"The School is not getting any fund from any missionary abroad," Principal Koroma said, adding that the school has for a long time depended on only government for support and therefore encouraged the KISSOSA members to continue supporting it.
© 2019 Politico Online
