By: Mohamed M. Sesay
In his untiring efforts to invest in the Human Capital Development of Sierra Leoneans, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has launched his self-funded nationwide Free Summer School Project currently being implemented in Makeni and cascaded to other District Headquarters towns across the country. The Free Summer School Project has helped saved economic burdens on parents who used to pay summer school fees for their kids.
The beneficiary schools for President Bio’s Free Summer School Project are; Catholic Secondary School and Schlenker Secondary School in Portloko, DEC Primary School and Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Koinadugu, the Holy Rosary Secondary School in Pujehun, National Commercial Secondary School in Tonkolili, Harford Secondary School for Girls in Moyamba, Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Bo and St. Andrews Secondary School (UCC) in Bo, Kenema Government Secondary School and the Holy Trinity Secondary School in Kenema, Islamic Secondary School in Kono, Centennial Secondary School in Mattru Jong Bonthe, Kambia Islamic Secondary School, Kamankwei Wesleyan Secondary School in Karene, Aladi Secondary School in Makeni, Methodist Secondary Secondary School in Kailahun, Sunday School Foundation for Girls in Falaba, Services Secondary School in Juba, Collegiate Secondary School Wilkinson Road, Freetown Secondary School for Girls in Brookfield’s, SM Broderick School at Ferguson Street, Wilberforce Municipal School, Richard Allen Secondary School Allen Town, and the Ahmadiyya Secondary School Kissy Dockyard.
Dr. Brima Kapuwa, the Project Coordinator for President Bio’s Nationwide Free Summer School Project, intimated that President Bio’s manifestation and determination to provide Free Quality Education, triggered President Bio to launch such national summer school programs across the country. Dr. Kapuwa added that President Bio’s Free Summer School Project is single handed funded by the President adding that the project is systematically cascaded to Bo, Kenema and other Districts Headquarters towns. The Project Coordinator equally reaffirmed that the president is also providing stipends to teachers to the tune of one million Leones (Le 1,000,000) in the old note, coupled with the provision of essential learning materials to pupils across the selected schools.
“This Free Summer School Project launched by the president came to fruition due to the unflinching passion the president has for education. It has also been the president’s quest to resuscitate and recalibrate the Human Capital Development of citizens of Sierra Leone of which the Free Summer School is one of the many steps to achieve such, and also to complement the Nationwide Free Quality School Education. And that good thing of the summer school project is that the president provides stipends from teachers, and essential learning materials for pupils”, he said.
One can sense the euphoric celebrations among Pupils, Parents and Teachers for such an unprecedented novel of Presidential Summer Schools. Daniel Kargbo dubbed the President Bio’s Free Summer School Project as a divine blessing for them in Makeni. Another parent in Kambia Mabinty Koroma expressed tremendous appreciation for the Free Summer School project introduced by the President. She confessed that the Summer School project has got her five kids academically engaged adding that, the Free Summer School has equally redeemed them from economic burdens. Zainab Boima also expressed a similar sentiment that President Bio has saved them the cost they used to pay for the children to attend summer school.
Kadiatu S. Kamara, a pupil of the United Methodist Church Secondary School who also happens to be one of the beneficiaries, confessed that the nationwide Free Summer School is very timely. She also expressed profound appreciation for the laudable initiative by the president to get School Pupils academically engaged during this long holiday.
Peter Conteh of Sylvanus Municipal Academy also mustered his appreciation for the Free Summer School.
He, therefore, encouraged all and sundry not to view the Free Summer School Project with a political lens but rather, to see it as a national project that seeks to ameliorate the Free Quality School Education Project.
Sheikh Issa Kargbo, the Registrar for the President Bio’s Free Summer School project in Makeni, also expressed elation for the project. He disclosed that all of the selected teachers for the summer school are well experienced with long-standing academic track records. He also intimated that the enlistment of teachers was done by merit. It could be recalled that President Bio’s Nationwide Free Summer School Project was launched on the 5th of August 2022, and it is anticipated to roll out for four weeks.
