By Septimus Senessie in Kono
Action Aid Sierra Leone has commissioned a 6-classroom building with facilities including office space and a store, two VIP latrines, a library and a hand pump valued at about Le 500 million funded by a U.K-based philanthropist, Katty Hollidges.
According to the acting manager of Action Aid Sierra Leone in Kono district, Mohamed Fofana, in addition to the materials five teachers of teh Basinseh Junior Secondary School would be awarded scholarships to pursue the Higher Teachers' Certificate under a programme run by the Freetown Teachers' College in Kono and a 3-year scholarship with school materials to 27 pupils in the school. He maintained that training would also be provided for the school management committee to enable them effectively monitor the running of the school.
Fofana said that about 100 pupils were being educated in an environment that was not conducive for quality education with only two dusty classrooms.
He said with the new building and trained and qualified teachers in the community, teenage pregnancy and early marriage would be prevented “as parents will not send their children to Koidu or Sewafeh town to acquire education.
The principal of the school, Edward Saa Mboma expressed delight at the new clasroom block and other facilties. He was however concerned that the school continued to face “serious challenges” such as lack of recognition of its teachers by the Ministry of Education, and accommodation problems for teachers.
The Chief Administrator of Kono District council Tamba Allieu promised that the “council shall work together with the school administration and the education ministry so that the school will become part of the government-assisted schools.”
(c) Politico 08/11/12
