January 31, 2022
By Ilyasa Baa
The 51st Annual Inter House Athletics Competition organized past Thursday and Friday at the Government Technical Institute Mini Complex at Kissy Dockyard ended in a peaceful atmosphere; even though the field was jam-packed with pupils from various schools.
Security was water tight and the strategy of searching bags for offensive weapons before entering the field was in place, according to spectators. “Everybody is going to be properly searched”, a Police officer sounded at the entrance which was occupied by a long queue of pupils trying to go through the tense searching process. Victor Koroma, a resident of Dockyard, informed this medium that the turnout he saw especially on Friday was unimaginably massive and has been the largest so far during this Covid period.
Principal of the senior school, Martin Moore Musa and his colleague Principal of the junior school attributed the success of the sport to effective planning and monitoring.
They said the police was timely noticed to provide security personnel alongside the military. “We had to learn from what happens in other schools that was why we braced up for a peaceful sport”, Mr. Musa said. He thanked the security forces for a job well done adding that it is left with other schools to emulate the good example set by their pupils when it comes to extracurricular activities.
Eventually, Lewis House which is yellow took the first position followed by blue-Cummings House, Orange/Malyamah House, Red/Betts House and Green for Barlatt House. The atmosphere was jubilant though crowd control was challenging.
Violence during sporting activities in schools has the potential to spark unrest as pupils nowadays are seen taking drugs publicly and even attacking and burning down police vehicles.
Municipal Secondary School was established by Mayor Constance Cummings John, former Mayor of the Freetown Municipality in 1966 to accommodate pupils in and outside the Kissy community.