By: Ilyasa Baa
The maiden edition of Julius Maada Bio SLPP Summer School has been widely appreciated by parents in Constituency 050 in Magburaka Town, Tonkolili district, northern Sierra Leone, were half a thousand school going pupils are currently benefiting from a four-week intensive free summer school, initiated by His Excellency, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio.
Speaking to A-Z newspaper over the weekend, a parent, Abdul Sesay who has three kids attending summer school said the initiative of President Bio has impacted a lot of benefits on his kids. He said the summer school has greatly improved their kids in terms of the various subjects they offer in school. “I effectively monitor them to see how they are during classes”, Sesay said, adding that the teachers are up to the task. He said there is a need for continuity of the summer school in the following years.
“My child in SSS three has been gaining a lot to face the forthcoming West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE). He thanked President Bio for extending his gesture to the children of the Tonkolili district. He also expressed the need for the programme to be extended to cover Chiefdom Headquarters Towns; not only limiting it to the District Headquarters in the region, but he also suggested.
Hawanatu Kamara, a petty trader and a single parent of four, informed this medium that the summer school did not only benefit the kids but the parents as well. “The summer school keeps our children busy during the whole of this holiday”, she noted, adding that she has noticed tremendous improvement in her kids even though she is illiterate.
Ibrahim Sesay boasted that his class four girl has quickly learned how to write formal and informal letters as a result of attending summer school.
The District Coordinator, JMB SLPP Free Summer School, Tonkolili, Robert Salia Kamara expressed his satisfaction over the turnout. “The turnout is more than what we expected”, he said, adding that the programme was not widely publicized otherwise there would have been more kids to accommodate at the National Commercial Secondary School which is the only center in the district, unlike Bombali which has two centers. He said the summer school is a plus to the district considering education is an engine for the development of any country. He pointed out that the cooperation they receive from parents; teachers as well as the kids have been great and extremely encouraging.
He noted that from his assessment, the parents have called on the organizers to include remote areas at the chiefdom level for the participation of kids in those areas if the summer school is to continue next year. He referred to the teachers (over sixty) as being selected from the best performing schools in the district.
According to the pupils, summer school is a blessing in disguise. They thanked the President for his radical inclusion moves which they described as fantastic with a positive impact on them as learners. Osman Sesay expressed special thanks and appreciation to the organizers saying that the quality of the teachers has helped him acquire first-hand knowledge about how to face the BECE public examination. As for Musu Kargbo, a class six pupil, she expressed hope that she will apply what she has been taught during the summer school to come out with flying colors’ at the National Primary School Examination (NPSE).
It could be recalled that the summer school was launched in early July, this year, out of President Bio’s desire to improve the educational sector through Free Quality Education which is the flagship programme of the government. The President is using his resources to organize such successful summer school with teachers being highly motivated to develop the country’s human capital.
However, it is hoped that certificates will be issued to the best-performing pupils and teachers.
