By Kona Sesay
European Union has rehabilitated 100 schools across the country to boost President Bio’s Free Quality School Education (FQSE) with their “Support for Education” Project.
In the Port Loko district, pupils from across fourteen schools have demonstrated a sense of ownership of the European Union “Support for Education” Project which saw the rehabilitation of 100 schools across the country.
This revelation came out during a joint assessment exercise by the European Union Delegation (EUD) and the National Authorizing Office (NAO), on the 23rd, 24th and 25th of January 2024.
Before the rehabilitation exercise, these schools were already in a dilapidated state with crumbling walls and leaky roof tops. Some of the buildings were outdated and were no longer convenient for learning purposes.
However, the newly rehabilitated schools have attractive buildings, open spaces and are convenient for learning. It is germane to note that all the schools rehabilitated by the EU are disabled friendly.
Nanah Bangura, a disabled pupil at the “Tanbiama Community Secondary School, Bombali District, told Awoko Newspaper that she was particularly pleased by the disable-friendliness of the building. Bangura said she now feels comfortable to come to school because of the special provision made for her to access the building, rather than climbing a stair.
Following the rehabilitation of these schools, most of the school heads testified that enrolment increased during and after the rehabilitation of their schools.
Principal, Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School in Masiaka, Ibrahim Tommy Bull revealed that for the Junior school, the number of pupils increased to 600 from 450 pupils after the rehabilitation.
In the senior class, Principal Bull noted that enrolment increased from 500 to 730. “Most of these pupils who later joined the school got attracted to the building that was rehabilitated by the European Union (EU).
Both the Principal of Kalangba Agricultural Secondary School, Peter Bangura and the Principal of Tanbiama Secondary Schools, revealed that enrollment increased from 150-400 and from 444-486 pupils.
Abu Bakarr Kamara, a JSS 2 pupil of the King Fahad Secondary School in Kamalo, Karene District was quick to reveal that he got attracted to the school building which he thinks is more convenient for learning when compared to the school he had previously attended which had a makeshift structure.
On the same token, Sallay S. Kanu, SSS 2 pupil at the “Ropolon” Islamic Secondary School, at the outside of Port Loko District, said that she and her colleagues were delighted beyond measures for the electrification of their school building after it was rehabilitated, noting that she and her colleagues now come to school even at night to study for their examination, for she does not have such an opportunity at home.
The Program Manager, European Union Delegation in Sierra Leone, Pierre Trellu revealed that the EU arrived at the decision to invest in education in Sierra Leone, because the EU had in mind that education is one of the Government of Sierra Leone’s flagship projects.
Trellu disclosed that the schools were rehabilitated under the project titled “support to education”, adding that the total amount for the project is 29 million Euros. He expressed optimism that the project will continue to improve on the education sector of Sierra Leone so that the level of the children can be in line with what is needed for the country and for the region as well as for the citizens and parents.
In terms of the findings with regards to the quality of work that is being done, Trellu acknowledged that the work has been completed. However, he revealed that there are some quality issues, “mainly due to the fact that supervisors were not always on the ground. Some of the materials were not of the expected quality and the level of security was low.”
Project Officer, National Authorizing Office (NAO), which is the contracting agency, Engineer George R. Hamilton remarked that he feels strongly that the contractors did their best.
Despite some quality issues, Trellu is hopeful that the buildings will be durable.
But now that work is completed, Awoko Newspaper raised a question as to the issue of maintenance which will in a way contribute to the durability of the buildings that were rehabilitated, Trellu responded that issues of maintenance were not factored in the project, rather, he expressed optimism that the school administration and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) will take care of that.
Principal Bull of the Ahmadiyya Secondary School assured that his administration will ensure that the building is maintained. He further disclosed that plans are underway to employ a contractor who would be given the task of maintenance. Among other things, Bull told this medium that he is forever grateful to the EU Delegation to Sierra Leone for such an important gift.
Ask if he would cast a blame on NAO for the quality issues raised above, Trellu remarked that “I don’t blame anybody, rather I am just assessing the situation and how the design was done,” he told. Trellu also mentioned that it was not a technical audit, but noted that a final evaluation would be done later on to assess properly what has been done, adding that recommendations will be done thereafter.
The Program Manager told this medium that the main objective of the visit is to do a quick assessment of the works done if it complied with what was expected. He added that the visit was to see whether the beneficiaries of the project are happy with it and to communicate the development programs of the EU.
For a school to become a beneficiary under the “support to education” project, Trellu disclosed that the EU did a quick assessment of schools in those districts that benefitted from the project.
Giving a background about the rehabilitation, the Project Officer at NAO, Hamilton, mentioned that the project started in March 2020, noting that it would have been completed before this time, but due to the corona outbreak some of the contractors could not get on their feet to move materials from one place to another to do the work
