August 4, 2021
By Aruna Kamara in Bo
Parents in Bo have lauded the move taken by the President Bio led government to reduce the huge burden on them when it comes to admission of their children who passed the 2021 National Primary School Examination (NPSE).
This statement is coming at a time when the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education Commission is poised to reduce the burden on parents in terms of admission of Junior Secondary School Pupils.
The Ministry has already engaged principals in Bo district to discuss about admitting pupils to Junior Secondary School based on their grades scored in the 2021 National Primary School Examination (NPSE).
One Brima Kamara said that “this government is indeed sober by introducing the Free and quality education program which our children are benefiting fromt,’’
He added that they the ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Commission must ensure that they follow up on the admission.
Earlier, addressing Principals at a meeting held at the Bo Commercial Secondary School in Bo Last week, the Regional Coordinator of the Ministry of Basic Commission in the Southern Region, Hassan Y. Bangura said that ‘’’ we calling on the principals to chart a way forward on the placement of candidates of NPSE..’’
He said that there was one choice of Junior Secondary School for the NPSE candidates but when the SLPP led government introduced the Free and quality education , it introduced three choice of schools , of which the pupils have the right to choose any of the three schools for admission after they have gotten the government stipulated passing mark.
“The 2021 NPSE result is now out and we have called on them to negotiate with them about the placement of the successful pupils in the NPSE Exam. We want to know the number of pupils they can take in their schools and the number the government want them to take, so the negotiation is going on.’’Mr. Bangura said.
He said that government observed that there was a burden on the parents to pay millions of Leones for the admission of their pupils and this government has come to reduce the burden by creating three school of choice for their pupils.
He added that any pupils that did not make the school mark but that of the government mark, the Ministry of Basic a Education commission can ensure that he or she is admitted to any of the three schools.
Mr. Bangura said that it might be tough for the school in Bo but in Freetown it has been easy. He expressed the hope the it will be an easy process to ensure that all the pupils who got the government passing mark are enrolled into the Junior Secondary school.
‘’ we will make sure that the pupils will be admitted to schools closer to the place they are residing,’’ he assured the parents,
Eel added that they do not want pupils to be admitted to school that is far away from their place of residence so that it will not be a burden on the parents in terms of transportation.
Mr. Bangura cautioned pupils who want to attend grade ‘A’ schools that their parent attended but did not get the required mark for the school should know that their parents studied well to pass for such schools.
He encourages the pupils to accept any of the school of his choice that accepted their admission and they do not want to leave behind any of the pupils that pass the NPSE Exam with government mark of 230.
The Chairman of Conference of Principals of Secondary School (CPSS) in Bo Districts, who doubles as the Principal of the Kakua Community Junior Secondary School in Bo, Denis Momoh described the action of the Government in terms of the placement of Candidates of NPSE, as laudable .
He said that this is the first time they are placing pupils in schools, noting that the some big schools were nearly admitting all the pupils.
He added that CPSS accepted this government policy as the principals are asked to submit the number of pupils that they want for admission.
‘’The executive of CPSS will be going around the schools to ensure that the policy of the government is strictly adhere to and anyone found not adhering will have him/herself to be blamed, Mr. Bangura cautioned .