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By Santigie Sesay
Makmood Marrah-not his real name, 12, arrived one hour late to school. That day was however his earliest. With polythene bag containing his books and pencil was wrapped under his armpit. As he approaches the school, the looks on his face is that of fear, regret and certain of his punishment. He obeyed instruction to kneel under the hot burning sun. He was waiting to receive his usual morning beating for coming late to school.
“I’m sorry for coming late to school. I was not feeling too well last night. I won’t come late tomorrow” he cried in Kriglish (combination of English and Krio. The teacher ignored Marrah’s plea. He whipped him six times on his half torn khaki trousers. Marrah wept with no tears. He rushed into the class with disclination. The class is housed in a make-shift structure like. This is the Barfodia Primary school (imaginary). The school has stood there for over two decades now and it’s in dire need of a facelift. I need not emphasize that that school was in a bad shape.
Marrah, like many of his peers, not just in Kabala but the country at large, has to cover over ten miles daily to access his school. No wonder when he arrived that morning, his feeble legs were covered in dust, sweating profusely.
Acquiring education in Sierra Leone is very excruciating. This is the amongst the reasons why the standard of education has fallen drastically over the years. The education sector is being plagued with insurmountable challenges including lack adequate school structures. Only few schools have access to pipe borne water, electricity, adequate furniture amongst others.
Any sincere effort to fix this status quo will be welcomed by all and sundry. It is on this note that President Sierra Leoneans commended President Julius Maada Bio for making education a priority in the country. Let me quicken to state that very brilliant ideas are contained in the new Direction Manifesto on improving education in the country. But archiving this over ambitious initiative is one-billion-dollar question. This initiative has not necessarily improved the standard of education but it has succeeded to raise awareness on the importance of education. In my view, the free quality education is a mere PR Stunt. There is nothing free and it is free from quality in the words of Dr. Denis Bright. Parents are still paying fees, more extra school charges have levied on parents or guardians, books are sold to pupils in school, parent buy uniforms like before. So this free quality education introduced by the Bio government is more expensive than before.
Back to the Barfordia Primary School, Marrah had to squat on broken desk at the extreme back of the classroom. The tiny room has overstretched its capacity just like the Sierra Leone’s Correctional Service.
Like fifty (50) pupils were in the class that is supposed to take twenty pupils. The teacher is, from the onset not in a good mood. He hardly gets any personal touch or connections with the pupils to his un-teacher attitude and overcrowding. This is the state in which most schools in the country especially in the provinces are in. The schools are inadequate with poor infrastructure and accessing them, one must cover a marathon distance.
Since the introduction of the free quality education, millions of dollars from donors and development partners have been invested in it. With all this colossal amount, nothing much is there to show for it. Over the past days, I took some time to browse through the website of the Ministry of Basic Education and I was unable to see how many schools the ministry has built since their inception into office, list of moneys they have received from government and donors and how have they expended those moneys. Inasmuch as this ministry has receiving the chunk of financial support from government and donors, it could also be true that corruption is at all-time high in this ministry.
Few days back, the Minister of basic Education; Dr Moinina Sengeh posted on his Facebook page that they have secured twenty-five (25) million dollars to feed pupils in Fabala. I was compelled to comment on that post in awe. I suggested that that money could help build more standard school in the country. The minister who is also good at responding to people on social media was quick to reply that feeding children is also an important investment. That exchange is what prompted this article.
However, the point I was trying to make I that that money too huge to feed children and why some of it won’t be used to construct standards schools and upgrade some schools in dire need of refurbishment.
Research conducted shows that the 2021 Annual School Census shows that Kabala has two hundred and eighty-four schools. Seventeen (17) pre-primary schools, 229 primary schools, 29 Junior secondary and 9 senior secondary schools (page 2).
My heart is bleeding when I read the new Direction manifesto yesterday. I was sad because half of the things promised in that Manifesto have not been achieved. For instance, Page 38 of that document states that the SLPP Government will “Build and support at least one primary school in every administrative section in every district, at least a Junior Secondary in every administrative chiefdom or electoral ward and at least a Senior Secondary School equipped with a science laboratory in every electoral constituency” I have not seen the schools. In fact, I have not seen any school built by the ministry except the seeing the government commissioning schools built by Mercury International or Africell or through other philanthropic interventions.
They even promised to “Construct student hostels for at least 500 pupils attending different schools in every district headquarter towns and support schools with boarding facilities.” This has not been addressed either. Please if you know the schools and hostels built in your district, please reach out to me via santigiesesay606@gmail.com. I am highlighting all this issues because twenty-five million dollars to feed few thousands of pupils with wishy washy food, the ministry should use that amount on other pressing areas in the educational sector. I am afraid if the Bio government cannot fix the educational problems now, there is no hope for the future.
