The City Council in collaboration with the Kenema District Council (KDC) has started a two-week teacher’s census in the Kenema District.
Speaking to Awoko about the census, the District Council Education Committee Chairman, Councilor Peter Galiwa, who also doubles as the census coordinator, disclosed that their move was a mandatory exercise from the Ministry of Education that they should count pupils, teachers and school materials available in every school in the district.
He disclosed that after the nation-wide teacher verification exercise, the Minister of Education Youths and Sports Dr Minkailu Bah has said that the exercise was not enough to weed out ghost teachers and pupils; and that they should commence a census to support the process in order to ascertain the required number of teachers on pay roll and pupils in classes.
He said that the team would visit every school in the District and report their findings back to the Ministry. He however warned Teachers and Heads of Schools who might want to corrupt the process in any form, to stay off. He assured all that this is not a witch hunt, but an exercise to enable them execute their sacred duty.
The Deputy Director of Education (DDE) East, John Amara Swaray, noted that they are back for good and this time they would leave no stone unturned; and warned all those in the process to go strictly according to the rules.
He called on all and sundry to corporate fully in the interest of the nation.
By Saffa Moriba