October 4, 2021
By Ilyasa Baa
Residents of Mathumu village in Debia Chiefdom, Karene district, have welcome Jafai Support Foundation, an organization supporting persons with special needs in Sierra Leone and the United States of America which has under taken an assessment of the education sector in that part of the country.
Its findings, according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)Madam Haja Fatima Savage, is appalling noting that there is need for intervention to make the schools more convenient for effective teaching and learning to take place. She said the team discovered that a particular school known as the District Education Council School (commonly known as (DEC) has limited furniture to accommodate the pupil’s majority being girls.
She said the fact that only two of the teachers are pin coded, explains volumes of how bad the situation is for the school. She called for urgent intervention especially in the areas of furniture, learning materials and the provision of pure drinking water for the school community.
“It is difficult to solicit funds but we have been trying in our little ways to assist in various ways”, Mrs. Savage told this medium. She emphasized that the organization has provided pipe borne water for members of physically challenged organizations in the Western Area. She stressed that more needs to be done calling for a concerted effort with a multi sectoral approach to boost the education sector especially.
The Head Teacher, Abu Emmanuel Dumbuya has commended Jafai for the concern shown to the school. He said their cry for help for the smooth running of the school has not been heard. He mentioned that the subvention being provided for a quarter is not enough to run the school having teachers who are not on government payroll who are paid stipends from the limited resources.
It could be recalled that DEC Primary School was founded in 1999 and was rated second in the entire chiefdom in terms of the previous the National Primary School Examination (NPSE).
A community member, Sheikh Musa Sesay called on well-wishers to intervene and change the narrative to attract more girls in the school.