The Deputy Minister ll of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Madam Mamusu Patricia Massaquoi after her visitation of schools both in the east and west of Freetown regarded the turnout of students and teachers on the first day of 2023/2024 Academic Year as encouraging compared to previous years.

Her visitation targeted Methodist Boys High School, Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School, Annie Walsh Memorial School (AWMS), Saint Edwards Secondary School, and Saint Joseph’s Secondary School.

Prior to the reopening of schools, the MBSSE met with the leadership of the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU), The National Council of Head Teachers (NACOHT) and the Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (CPSS) put plans in place for the reopening of Schools for the 2023/2024 academic year.

According to Madam Massaquoi, school visitation is to monitor how prepared are the schools for the new academic year, and to welcome the students and teachers to the new academic year, noting that besides the visitation that the ministry normally does at every reopening of school the ministry also does random visitation of all schools in different part of the country to ensure that the learning environment is conducive.

She said there is this notion of students and teachers refusing to come to school on the first day of school reopening, and they will have to give themselves a week before coming to school, noting that that is something of the past now.

“The schools visited recorded 50, 60 and even 70 percent attendance on Day One amidst the threat on social media. This is something we should celebrate as a nation,” she said.

She calls on students and teachers that are absent for Day One to join the others and attend school for Day Two and the rest of the academic year.

She commended the parents that accompany their children to school, especially the JSS 1 students that are attending a new school for the first time. She encouraged them not only to stop their visitation on Day-One but also continue to do that more often as this will improve the performance of their children.

Credit: Strategic Communications Analyst MBSSE