By Nasratu Kargbo
The Acting Speaker of Parliament Segepoh Solomon Thomas has said that the salaries of Principals and school authorities will be seized if it is proven that they are responsible for the ineligibility of a huge number of students wanting to take the 2024 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Thomas made the pronouncement on the 11th of April 2024 following a heated debate in parliament over the number of students who will not be taking their WASSCE. He said: “If the Minister comes here and tells us that the Principals, headmasters, 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”.
The Acting Speaker ordered the clerk to invite the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) Conrad Sackey on the next adjourned date which is on 16th of April 2024.
From Kailahun District Hawa Siaffa said, “I want us to punish the school authorities, the principals; this has been a usual thing for them to sabotage the government. We should punish them, instead of us to punish our children”.
She said as representatives of the people they should speak on behalf of the nation and have stakeholders ensure the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) reopen the portal, which she said they had done that, however many were left out.
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition Daniel Koroma agreed with Siaffa, that the pupils are innocent but are now the victims.
He said they as MPs will support the Speaker in a bid for the pupils to take their examination.
The decision to punish school authorities if they are found wanting came after the Chairman of the Basic Secondary Education Committee in Parliament Alpha Fode Jabbie said that Chief Whip of the Opposition Abdul Karim Kamara made ‘false accusations’ relating to the education sector.
According to Jabbie, the Chief Whip had said that in the whole of Kambia District, no candidate will be taking the 2024 WASSCE, adding that 80% of schools in Bombali will not be taking the examination and that the Minister has not made efforts to salvage the situation. “These statements are hundred percent false and baseless” Jabbie stressed.
Jabbie explained that he has records that state that four thousand six hundred and sixty-eight (4,668) candidates have been registered to take the examination from thirty-six (36) schools in Kambia District this year.
Concerning claims that about 80% of schools in Bombali District will not be taking the examination, Jabbie said the District has eighty-three (83) senior secondary schools and stated that eighty percent (80%) of that amount is sixty-seven (67) schools, stressing that MBSSE and the West African Examinations Council have records that indicate that sixty-five (65) schools will be taking the exams with twelve thousand two hundred and eighty candidates (12,280) from the district. He however did not mention the number of candidates that will not be eligible for the examination.
The Chairman also emphasized that the Minister has been making efforts to ensure that students are registered, explaining that he had pleaded and ensured that the portal was reopened on several occasions even after stated deadlines.
The Deputy Whip was not present in parliament to respond to the issues raised by Jabbie.
However, the MP on the 2nd April 2024 posted a video on his Facebook page saying “Over fifty percent (50%) of pupils that are supposed to take the examination this year which is around one hundred and fifty to sixty thousand have been omitted from the examination”.
Kamara said at a time like this when the country is trying to discourage the youths from taking the drug Kush, those who have been omitted will be frustrated by the system.
Speaking on why he decided to bring the issue on social and mainstream media, Kamara said he wanted to reach the President. The Leader said that according to the students who have reached out to him, the Ministry is aware of the situation. “The reason they gave is that WAEC failed to submit the Continuous Assessment Score (CAS), Mr. President one hundred and sixty thousand is not a small number, I was astonished that the majority of these kids are from schools in the North and Western Area,” he said in the widely circulated video.
The Acting Speaker promised to give the Deputy Whip time to respond.
Copyright © 2024 Politico Online (12/04/24)
