By Samuel Serry Jr.
When the newly installed government of President Maada Bio made education one of its top priorities, it was easy to see the reason why. Education, not only in Sierra Leone, but regionally has been on a downward trajectory for quite a while.
Despite super-human , commendable efforts to get education back on track with the Free Quality education initiative, it remains very evident that the government cannot do this on its own.
Rokel Commercial Bank took up the Financial Inclusion sensitisation drive when it was introduced by the Central Bank in 2018. Since the they have been constantly pushing that initiative at any opportunity.
Not content to rest on their oars, they have now stepped up the gears to motivate senior school going students to up their gam in reading and researching for knowledge and improvement in their standard of education.
A regional quiz has been organised for senior secondary schools based on Banking, Financial inclusion, Civic Studies, Local and international Current affairs.
The competition is being coordinated by the Bank’s Public Relations department , headed by Rev. George Spilsbury-Williams, a Banker with many years of experience.
Eight schools have been randomly selected for this first competition, two each from Bo, Kenema , Makeni and Freetown. The schools are CKC and St.Andrews U.C.C. (Bo) St. Francis and Birch Memorial (Makeni), Kenema Boys and Holy Rosary (Kenema) AWMS and POW (Freetown).
So far , UCC defeated CKC in Bo by sudden death after both schools ended in a tie, and St. Francis also narrowly defeated Birch Memorial on Tuesday at the UNIMAK grounds.
Both winners now qualify for a place in the semi-finals to be held in Freetown in December.
It is expected that this quiz competition will help promulgate the practice of reding and researching in the mindset of students as RCBank seeks to complement the efforts of the government in regaining our lost heritage as the Athens of West Africa.
Details of the rest of the competition will be given to the public . The bank is hosting the quiz in partnership with Star Television who will be showing it on their station as time goes on.
