Issues: Taking stock of the Gbamanja Commission Recommendations

In March 2010, the Gbamanja Commission of Inquiry presented its report to President Ernest Bai Koroma at State House. We are publishing the White Paper – or those recommendations of the commission as accepted by the Government – so you are reminded of them but also so that you can take stock of what have and have not been implemented. Next week Politico will come with analyses on the state of affairs.

According to the Minister of Education, Dr. Minkailu Bah, the commission was set up with specific terms of terms of reference, which include the following:

a)   To investigate and identify the reasons for the poor performance of pupils in the BECE and WASSC Examinations in Sierra Leone, taking into account the role played by the following:  (I) School environment; (ii) Home environment; (iii) The curriculum; (iv) Teachers and their attitudes and methodologies; (v) Teachers’ motivation; (vi) Pupils’ preparedness; (vii) Class sizes; (viii) The two-shift system; (ix) Tertiary institutions; (x) Proprietors; (xi) Head teachers/pupils; (xii) The Ministry of Education officials; (xiii) Social factors, and (xiv) other factors relevant to the investigation  

(b)     To ascertain the impact of the 6-3-3-4 system on the performance of the pupils and how that compares with the experience of the other countries that have adopted the same system;       

(c)  To investigate the reasons for indiscipline in secondary schools; and      

(d)   To recommend immediate, short, medium and long-term measures to improve and sustain pupils’ performance in the BECE and WASSC Examinations.

After consideration of the Commission’s report and recommendations, the government came out with a White Paper in July 2010 in which it endorsed some of the recommendations while dismissing others. Below are the recommendations approved by the government:

Immediate Recommendations:

1. Modification of the 6-3-3-4 System of Education to include a compulsory early child component and extension by one year of the duration of senior secondary school. The system now becomes the 6-3-4-4.

2. Free and Compulsory Primary Education in both policy and practice on condition that the local council are involved in the implementation of the policy.

3. Establishment of Teaching Service Commission with a review of the conditions of Service of teachers as a top priority action. 

4. Establishment of the National Institute of Education, Training and Research (NIETAR) by legislation as a semi-autonomous specialized agency for Curriculum Development, Teacher Development and Educational Research, with a study of Special Needs Education as a priority. NIETAR should incorporate the National Curriculum Research and Development Centre, and the National Council for Technical, Vocational and other Academic Awards (NCTVA). 

5. Implementation of the Recommendations of the WAEC Chief Examiner’s Report On Schools and submission of annual reports on the outcomes of implementation.  

6. Criminalization of the Practice of Irregular Admission of Pupils in Secondary Schools.

7. Banning of ACCESS Courses in tertiary institutions. Faculties of Science in a university however may organize preparatory programmes for science candidates wishing to retake the WASSCE. These are extramural candidates and NOT university students.  

8. Phasing out of the Two-Shift System. This recommendation is made with the Proviso that additional classrooms will be built to accommodate all pupils in one shift. Meanwhile schools should create more streams to accommodate pupils.  Pupils shall attend school from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily with a 45 minutes lunch break. Regular and punctual school attendance by teachers and pupils shall be enforced. This should be effected within a period of three years.  

9. Reduction of the number of Examination Subjects from 9 to 7 subjects for BECE and WASSCE in conformity with the decisions of the other West African countries.  

10. Regulation of Extra-Curricula Activities in Schools and Colleges such as dances, sports, school outings and carnivals, and imposition of a permanent ban on devilish cult activities.  

11. Enforcement of Rules Regarding Speaking of English in Schools by Teachers and   Pupils Government accepts the recommendation of the Commission.  

12. Banning of syndicate classes on school premises.

13. Performance Contracting of Head Teachers and Principals of Secondary Schools And Tertiary Institutions. This should be informed by the principles of Results-Based Management. 

14. Enforcement by Statutory Instrument of a Code of Conduct including a Dress Code for all Teachers and Pupils.  

15. Filling of all Vacant Positions in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and Appointment of a Professional Head of the Ministry. 

16. Discontinuation of Payment of BECE and WASSC Examination Fees for children attending private schools.

17. Strict Adherence to Matriculation Requirements for Admission of Students by Universities and other Tertiary Educational Institutions.

18. Strict Adherence to Curricular/Programme Mandates by Tertiary Institutions and enforcement of compliance by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). 

19. Government accepts the recommendation of the Commission.  

20. Criminalization of the Sale of School Materials Supplied by Government.  

Short-term Recommendations (Endorsed)   

1. Reduction of Class Sizes with 50 and more Pupils;

2. Review of Teacher Recruitment Process

3. Training of all Untrained and Unqualified Teachers throughout the country through well-structured training programmes.

4. Training of all Heads of Schools and Colleges on Educational Administration and Management and in Computer       

Medium Term Recommendations (Endorsed)

1. Early Scheduling of the Basic Education Certificate Examination.

2. Adoption of a Policy on Technical and Vocational Education.

3. Regulation of Video Clubs and Entertainment Centers in the immediate vicinity of schools and activation of the Film Censorship Board.  

4. Employment of Guidance Counsellors in every school with emphasis on career guidance in their job description.

5. Increase in Funding for Science and Technology and upgrading of science laboratories in schools. 

6. Provision of Library Facilities in every School 

With regard implementation, the government agreed for an immediate establishment of a task force to ensure implementation of the report’s recommendations. In addition, the government agreed to the following:

(i) that the teaching of the French language be reactivated and reinvigorated and made compulsory in all secondary schools from JSS1 to SSS III;      

(ii) that one full-fledged boarding home school be established by government in each district in the medium-term; 

(iii)  that after the phasing out of the two-shift system, government should provide mechanisms to support the implementation of the one-shift system;  

(iv) that the policy on the establishment of private schools and private tertiary institutions be enforced;  

(v) that the provision of basic education to all Sierra Leoneans at an affordable cost is a policy of Government. In this regard, the proliferation of unregulated private schools and the high charges they levy is undermining the policy. That Government policy therefore is that the levy of school charges by all private schools should only be effected after consultation with the Ministry of Education;  

(vi) that ceremonial uniforms in all schools be abolished and that each school should have only one type of uniform.