Jimmi Secondary School Struggles with Neglect as New Academic Year Begins
Alhaji Mashalat Sheriff As the 2025–2026 academic year gets underway, Jimmi Government Secondary School, fondly known as “Terminer,” continues to grapple with severe infrastructural challenges, raising concerns among pupils, staff, and alumni.
The facilities, including teacher accommodations and the boarding home, are in a dilapidated state, creating an environment many describe as unfriendly for learning. Once celebrated in the 1920s for its academic excellence, the school has endured decades of neglect, particularly since the end of Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war.
Reports indicate that no major rehabilitation has taken place since then, leaving students and teachers worried about the safety and usability of the aging colonial-era buildings.
National attention was drawn to the school’s plight five years ago when President Julius Maada Bio visited the campus and acknowledged its deplorable condition.
At the time, he promised mattresses, food supplies, and facility upgrades. However, many of those commitments remain unfulfilled, with the school still lacking basic amenities such as adequate medical facilities and a properly resourced library.
The Jimmi Old Boys Association (JOBA) has expressed disappointment over the government’s inaction, noting that some alumni have shifted their support to rival institutions such as Bo School.
Despite the challenges, Principal Mohamed Samu Jr. and JOBA President Joseph Hemoh Bunduka have been praised for their tireless efforts to mobilize resources and push for improvements at Jimmi School.