By Saio Marrah
The Lebanese International School in Freetown has topped the just concluded letter writing completion conducted by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education (MBSSE) in partnership with the Sierra Leone Postal Service (SALPOST), grabbing the first and second positions.
Tamba Senessie and Sahr Senessie, two of triplet brothers from the school, held the first and second positions respectively in the junior secondary school level with a score of 86%.
Solarg Dukuray Jalloh, from the International School in Freetown, came third in that category also with a score of 86%.
For category one, primary schools, Mohamed Jalloh from Biana Nursery and Preparatory School in Freetown clinched the first position with a score of 65%. Other pupils from the same school, Princess Buck with 57% held the second position at that level.
The Minister of MBSSE, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, said at the post office headquarters in Freetown on Friday 7th October 2022, during the World Post day commemoration that the essay competition was a result of the letter he wrote to the school pupils across the country during the school holiday.
He said he had asked them to explain how they spent their holidays and to also highlight some of the problems they had been experiencing in their communities.
Dr. Sengeh also said he called on the school pupils to proffer solutions to those challenges. Most of the issues the school kids highlighted he said surround the issue of climate change. They have been experiencing adverse weather conditions, too much cutting down of trees, heavy storms as well as too much rain that have led to flooding and mudslide.
He said the pupils were worried and wanted the government to do something about it.
Dr. Sengeh therefore urged every citizen to be serious about their civic responsibilities in attaining that. He described civics as important because it highlights the responsibility of citizens to the family, community, state, and planet as well.
For this, he said his ministry has updated its curriculum and now have a subject on environmental studies, which is critical of all the core subjects.
The minister also highlighted the five Cs- Critical thinking, Computational thinking, Comprehension, Civics, and Creativity.
He therefore described SALPOST as one of the fundamental foundations for civic institutions in the country that help to communicate freely, securely and safely to anybody and everywhere.
The minister also used the opportunity to tell the public to appreciate the massive improvement in the recent public examinations, especially the West African Senior School Examination (WASSCE).
He also promised to ensure 100% passes from classes one to the Basic Education and Certificate Examination (BECE) level in the next 10 years.
The Managing Director of SALPOST, Brima Katta said they will continue to partner with MBSSE in conducting such essay competitions every year for the school kids and that the best essay writers will then represent the country internationally.
