By Nasratu Kargbo
Sitting on the ground or leaning against nearby trees outside the Sierra Leone Parliament, dozens of pupils who have been exempted from taking the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) have called on the government and all other stakeholders to hear their cry and ensure they take the examination.
Lingering outside parliament hoping to hear good news from their Teachers and Principals who were inside waiting on the Acting Speaker of Parliament Segepoh Solomon Thomas for a meeting, eighteen-year-old Davida V. Barrie from FAWE Girls School in Waterloo emotionally spoke of how disheartening their situation is.
Shaking as she fought to hold back her tears, Barrie said “As girls, we are vulnerable; if we are left behind it will be very bad for us. We are calling on the government to find a solution for us“. She explained how she had gone through a lot of struggles, took extra classes, and was so excited to take the examination, but the news that she would not take the examination broke her heart.
John Fengai from the Liverpool Islamic Community Secondary School said that he is unhappy and that the situation has greatly affected him. He explained that he traveled from the village to Freetown to live with his guardian, stating that if he is not opportune to take this examination he might not take another because his guardian may not have the money to support him.
From Great Expectation Academy in Lumley Mary Sarah Dumbuya stressed that when a girl-child is willing to learn, it is important that she is provided with all the opportunities to do so. She added that when the child is distracted by boys and other external factors, she would not be able to fully focus on her education.
“Please do not deprive us, now that we are energetic and willing to learn, let us learn,” Dumbuya said.
Son of a Petty Trader and Head Boy of Manifest School of Excellence, Tommy Sandy said when he broke the sad news to his mother, she was devastated, emphasizing that his mother goes through a lot to fend for him and his siblings.
Representing Sham Sierra Secondary School in Rokel, Mohamed Abdulai Kargbo who is a teacher said they are sad that students that they’ve nurtured and trained to take the examination have been exempted from taking the exams.
Responding to the question of school authorities being blamed for the children being left out, the teacher couldn’t say much. He said the process of Continuous Assessment Score (CAS) has different stages and that since they were unable to go through the first stage, they could not gain access to the other stages.
When asked why they went to parliament, Kargbo said that they wanted the parliamentarians to help them sort out the issue, and for the government and stakeholders in the sector to speak to WAEC on their behalf to open the portal.
Following a heated argument in parliament regarding the issue, the Acting Speaker of Parliament Segepoh Solomon Thomas stated that the salaries of Principals and school authorities would be seized if it is proven that they were the reason for such a huge number of students not taking the WASSCE.
“If the Minister comes here and tells us that the Principals or the board members are those to be blamed, we will ensure that their salaries are seized. We will tell the Minister to give us the list of these heads” he said.
Principals, teachers, MBSSE authorities, WACE, and Parliament are to hold a closed-door meeting on Thursday 25th April 2024 to finalize the issue.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (24/04/24)
