By Prince J Musa in Kenema
Officials from the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education have on the 22nd July 2022 engaged Principals of Junior Secondary Schools in both Kailahun and Kenema districts on the placement of pupils that passed the National Primary Schools Examination for entry into Junior Secondary School.
The Chairman Conference of Principals East and also the Principal of Government Secondary School (Senior) in Kenema, Alhaji Mustapha Mansaray described the engagement in the city itself as important and timely for them as school authorities. He said the placement exercise will enable them to put measures in place to surmount some of the difficulties they will be faced with, and called on all to follow the policies forwarded by the ministry.
In her statement, the Deputy Director of Basic Education Kenema district, Agnes Kamara said the government’s pass mark is 230 but said some principals of schools regarded as grade A schools do have their own standards and reject pupils indirectly by setting internal exams to discourage the children and their parents.
She appealed to the principals to work with the education ministry in admitting children that got the pass grades in their schools and warned them not to bloat the enrolment list but to take the necessary number according to the available space.
Another senior education official Rev. Sahr Foday told the gathering that the ministry started the placement process last year as a way of accommodating all those that passed the NPSE into junior secondary schools.
He acknowledged that prominent schools are challenged with accommodation which has forced authorities to take the placement system to the provinces.
He told the principals that interviews should be done only after the placement process and they expect all of the school authorities to comply or will face disciplinary actions. The ministry will only do placement at government and government-assisted schools and not private schools
“We are not witch-hunting principals for admission of pupils in their schools but we want to ensure no child is left out,’’ he said.
In her statement, senior educationist, Dr. Josephine Ladipo informed the principals to submit the names of schools that do not have codes.
She stated that the ministry has discovered that some schools are using other schools’ codes while some schools have double codes which she said is unacceptable.
Dr. Ladipo said the placement team will want to correct the issues before the next school year because the ministry now has the legitimacy to give codes to schools and not the West Africa Examination Council.
She reiterated that upon consultation with the Chief Examination Officer, the ministry was able to approve 156 schools last year.
“I will take note of all your concerns pertaining to the placement and school code to the chief education officer,’’ she assured.
She encouraged principals to come up with their challenges and to see how best they can deliberate on them for sustainable and quality free education for the children and the country as a whole. She also appealed to them to make provisions for special needs pupils in schools.
The Principal of Government Secondary School (junior) Kenema, Umaru Vandi Kondovoh informed the meeting that over one thousand pupils applied for entry this year and that they are faced with serious accommodation challenges especially when the ministry has instructed that pupils who repeat, be given a second chance.
He stated that the school is expected to undergo rehabilitation and reconstruction with added problems for the administration and therefore drew the attention of the ministry to those difficulties.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (25/07/22)
