Former APC Minister of Lands, Environment and Country Planning and former Presidential candidate for the Citizens Democratic Party (CDP) Alhaji Musa Tarawally, has engaged one of China’s biggest humanitarian organisations, Zhuhai and Macao Tsinghua Redbud Alumni Association, to assist with the implement the free education initiative.
During an assessment of schools in various parts of the provinces, MA Chi Chung, Chairman Zhuhai and Macao Tsinghua Redbud Alumni Association, disclosed the visits are to get useful information towards fostering development in education.
The team visited Bo Secondary School, Harford Memorial Secondary School for Girls in Moyamba, June Hartranft Primary School for girls in Moyamba, United Methodist Church (UMC) Salina in Moyamba and Moyamba Boys Secondary School in Moyamba.
“I am visiting these schools as case studies but ours is a national project and we will try to make it sustainable with the aim of targeting especially vulnerable children,” he furthered.
Alhaji Musa I. Koroma, Principal of Bo School, explained that the school is a 100% boarding school highlighting how they are facing serious challenges in the area of adequate accommodation for both teachers and pupils.
“There is nothing good to write home about the laboratory,” he also informed adding that food is also another challenge because they currently have over 900 pupils.
At Harford, Juliana, a senior teacher, said the school was established in 1900 by missionaries and the school has no electricity, computers, internet facility or health centre. She also said they have over 700 girls but most of the teachers are not registered with PIN codes.
Vincent T. Bangali, Principal of Moyamba Boys School, said the school is the most vulnerable senior secondary schools in that part of the country. He informed that the school compound is not fenced thereby jeopardizing safety. “Sometimes we even find it difficult to hold on to the boys after lunch hours,” he lamented adding that the school is also used as a technical centre but there are limited equipment.
Rev. Jane. Lahai of June Hartranft primary school disclosed that the school has a boarding home. “For girls is very difficult because these young children rely on their parents for feeding,” she maintained further highlighting some of the constraints they are facing in taking care of the children. He said there is no electricity, they no longer feel safe and some of the children get sick from time to time.
At UMC school it was discovered that there is no toilet facilities nor clean water supply. The furniture is damaged and some of the students go to school without shoes and bags.
OG/25/6/18
By Ophaniel Gooding
Tuesday June 26, 2018.
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