Dr Minkailu Bah, Minister of Education

By Mohamed Vandi in Kenema

The Principal of Saint Joseph's Secondary School at Blama has confirmed to Politico that some of his pupils threatened to set the school and his vehicle on fire following his withdrawal of his school from this year's inter-secondary school sports and the cancellation of the school's annual athletics sports meet.

Michael Samba did not disclose the identity of the pupils who made the threat but described them as “those pupils the school expelled last academic school year for bad behaviour and cheating in examination.”

He said his school did not take part in this year's inter-secondary school football competition because the Ministry of Education turned down his request for their return matches to be played in Blama instead of in Kenema. He said having to travel to Kenema for such events always took a heavy toll on the school's budget.

“If the students want sport...this is not the manner they should put it. They have the right to their views and opinions especially when it is done accordingly”, the principal said.        

The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the School, Paramount Chief Dafye Benya warned the pupils at the school assembly to desist from violence and focus on their education.

He said that at their latest CTA meeting they discussed the threats and agreed that the authors of the threatening letter had "no good intention for the entire community", because such an incident would lead to "the collapse of education in the entire Small Bo Chiefdom". The chief said the police were "on alert to deal with any eventuality in the school."

Both the male and female prefects Alie Swaray and Jennifer Morray respectively condemned the threat against the school facilities and pledged to "team up with the school administration to deal with any attempt to cause mayhem in the school". They called on their fellow students to "be very peaceful and work in the direction of achieving quality education".

Some of the aggrieved students who pleaded to remain anonymous said "it was a deliberate attempt by the principal to deprive them of their sporting activities because last academic year we paid for sports, but the school did not organize it and never accounted for the money...This year they want to eat the sport money that is why they want no sporting activity”.

(C) Politico 26/11/13

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The Principal of Saint Joseph's Secondary School at Blama has confirmed to Politico that some of his pupils threatened to set the school and his vehicle on fire following his withdrawal of his school from this year's inter-secondary school sports and the cancellation of the school's annual athletics sports meet.

Michael Samba did not disclose the identity of the pupils who made the threat but described them as “those pupils the school expelled last academic school year for bad behaviour and cheating in examination.”

He said his school did not take part in this year's inter-secondary school football competition because the Ministry of Education turned down his request for their return matches to be played in Blama instead of in Kenema. He said having to travel to Kenema for such events always took a heavy toll on the school's budget.

“If the students want sport...this is not the manner they should put it. They have the right to their views and opinions especially when it is done accordingly”, the principal said.        

The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the School, Paramount Chief Dafye Benya warned the pupils at the school assembly to desist from violence and focus on their education.

He said that at their latest CTA meeting they discussed the threats and agreed that the authors of the threatening letter had "no good intention for the entire community", because such an incident would lead to "the collapse of education in the entire Small Bo Chiefdom". The chief said the police were "on alert to deal with any eventuality in the school."

Both the male and female prefects Alie Swaray and Jennifer Morray respectively condemned the threat against the school facilities and pledged to "team up with the school administration to deal with any attempt to cause mayhem in the school". They called on their fellow students to "be very peaceful and work in the direction of achieving quality education".

Some of the aggrieved students who pleaded to remain anonymous said "it was a deliberate attempt by the principal to deprive them of their sporting activities because last academic year we paid for sports, but the school did not organize it and never accounted for the money...This year they want to eat the sport money that is why they want no sporting activity”.

(C) Politico 26/11/13

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