By Amin Kef Sesay
Education is a fundamental human right and a major driver of human and economic development for Sierra Leone. It strengthens personal integrity and shapes the country in which we live.
The access component of the Free Quality Education (FQE) enforces that all Sierra Leonean children must have uninterrupted access to free quality school education in the country.
It also emphasizes that education in Sierra Leone is no longer a privilege but a right to all Sierra Leonean children. The component emphasizes that no Sierra Leonean child must be left behind.
As such, the attention of reformist minded Dr. David Sengeh, the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and the ACC to the fact that highly unscrupulous money finding school heads are defeating the purpose and intent of the free quality education by charging between Le1 million and Le2.5 million for pupils seeking to enter into junior secondary school or that have passed BECE and want to enter into SSS.
The cries of poor parents whose children have passed but cannot attend the schools of their choice because of the exorbitant admission fees can be heard very loudly in the Western Area. The Calabash has not heard such reports yet from the provinces.
Another form of naked exploitation is schools forcing parents to buy uniforms at their own highly fixed prices, even when these can be sewn cheaper.
Other unexplained school charges are still being imposed on parents.
To combat corruption, there is a need for clear norms and regulations, transparent procedures and an explicit policy framework specifying, for each of the steps involved, the distribution of responsibilities between different stakeholders in the setting up of fees for Government and Government assisted schools; as well as the allocation, distribution and use of educational resources.
The Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) believes that improving skills in management, accounting, monitoring and audit are basic requirements for reducing corruption in education.
In which regard, in 2019, the Head of the Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) in the North- West Region, Al-Hassan Sesay told school authorities, teachers and pupils that schools are not commercial enterprises wherein monies should be demanded regularly.
It could be recalled that following series of complaints from members of the public, the ACC issued out a press release on the 28th August 2019 warning school authorities against extortion and illegal charges.
He stated that the drop in the standard of education was as a result of the sustained presence of corruption in the sector adding that the Commission is concerned and committed to bringing sanity to the education sector.
The Regional Manager said in as much as the ACC recognizes the role of teachers and values their contribution to nation building, he noted that in the fight against corruption, the Commission will leave no stone unturned.
He cautioned school authorities and teachers to refrain from involving in corrupt practices and always endeavor to work in consonance with the dictates of the education policy. He also encouraged both staff and pupils to resist, reject and report any attempt or suspicion of corruption and corrupt practices to the ACC.
The Senior Public Education officer Sahid Mohamed Kamara highlighted various corrupt practices in schools which they said have eaten deep into the educational sector.
He also explained the importance of integrity to staff and pupils and encouraged both to inculcate the virtues and values of integrity as well as building a nation that is corrupt free.
He underscored the significance of hard work and commitment and to desist from examination malpractices, bribery and anything that contravenes the ACC Act and the education policy.
The Public Education Officer, Mohamed Thullah, spoke on the importance of integrity in public life adding that the ‘Meet the School Campaign’ was designed to teach pupils and school authorities to imbibe the values of integrity and to help address corrupt practices prevalent in schools (of which charging exorbitant admission fees is part of), broaden pupils understanding about corruption and its effects and to encourage them to resist and report all forms of corrupt practices in schools.
