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It Does Worth A Thought: That madness of Convent pupils must be checked

By Theophilus S Gbenda
Feb 20, 2006, 12:35

The issue of student misconduct is one that is poised to reach an alarming stage if frantic efforts are not immediately made by the ministry responsible to put a decisive stop to it.

It is no longer a secret that in this post conflict situation of ours, one of the dreaded security challenges faced by the security forces has to do with student protestations characterized in all cases by violence and blatant misconduct.

The other day, it had to do with students of one of our notable Universities, the Fourah Bay College (FBC), who virtually went on the rampage and in the end had a serious confrontation with the police. The incidence in question would have ran to the dogs if the police had not demonstrated professionalism in its handling. Just a few days ago, reports broke out that a group of secondary students from one small village also displayed a rebel tactic when they besieged the entire Mile 91 township and succeeded in burning down the police station therein along side two private vehicles.

Unconfirmed reports even have it that the students in question also succeeded in disarming a police officer and made away with his riffle.

It took the intervention of police reinforcement from Magburaka and Freetown who moved in swiftly to quell down the situation which actually threatened the peace of the town.

Some of the students involved in the riot are currently behind bars awaiting criminal court proceedings. The latest one occurred few days ago when Junior Secondary School pupils of the Saint Joseph convent Secondary School went on the loose, chanting anti school slogans and embarking on the throwing of missiles.

It also took the intervention of the police to salvage the situation which was fast becoming chaotic. This latest show of madness on the part of the St. Joseph pupils has been seen by many as a sensitive situation that goes far beyond the makings of the seeming reactive pupils.

Indebt investigation into the matter shows that the students were neither acting on their volition, nor were they in the know of the actual basis of their misconduct.

Apparently, the JSS teachers need to be made to answer certain questions because the indications are that they actually incited the pupils to go on the rampage.

Accordingly, the entire issue revolved around the JSS Principal, Madam Hilda Lamboi who the Ministry of Education Science and Technology obliged to proceed on leave. Impeccable reports state that the teachers presented the information to the JSS pupils in a diluted form suggesting that Madam Lamboi had been suspended and that the Senior Secondary School (SSS) Principal, Madam Eugenia Rogers had a hand in it.

The teachers did not stop there, they went a step further by inciting the pupils to stage a kind of rude protestation. The protestation started within the school campus and ended at the residence of Madam Eugenia Rogers who reports say would have been harmed if she hadn't taken cover. Missiles were reportedly thrown at her compound by the students who nearly succeeded in smashing her vehicle's wind screen.

According to police sources, the students were determined to enter the compound to cause havoc but were restrained by the timely arrival of a contingent of armed police officers.

The Convent situation is one that is said to be very volatile, giving the fact that the JSS teachers have for a long time now prepared the stage for discontent among the JSS pupils and their counterparts in the SSS.

The magnitude of the discontent has also seriously affected the relationship between the two principals. In most cases, the JSS teachers and principal alike have unjustifiably blamed the lapses of the JSS on the Principal of the SSS.

This situation according to independent investigations has been the reason why the attitude of the JSS pupils to their SSS counterparts and Principal alike has forever remained hostile. Most of the teachers who are now causing the problem in the school, used to work directly under Madam Eugenia Rogers before the school was divided into JSS and SSS. Most of them fell out with Madam Eugenia Rogers when it became evident that her administrative policy was not in consonance with their selfish desires.

Before Madam Eugenia Rogers took over as acting Principal of the school in 2003, the situation was such that there was a free for all admission in the school. Reports have it that teachers were neck deep in the syndicate.

Reports also have it that the domestic workers including the gatemen were equally involved in the scam. When Madam Rogers instituted strict measures to thwart what was already considered as a norm among the teachers, she immediately found herself in the bad books of nearly all the teachers who saw her move as calculated ploy to deprive them of their bread and butter. Since then, there has been a rising tension in the school.

The situation became worse when the school was divided into the JSS and SSS.

With the majority of the same disgruntled teachers now in the JSS, they are now said to be seizing the opportunity to manifest their vendetta.

This according to our independent investigation is chiefly responsible for the problems that seem to the engulfing the peaceful co-existence of the school.

This volatile situation is certainly poised to continue it efforts are not made by the ministry responsible to address the root causes. What has bothered many is the involvement of the innocent JSS pupils by their seeming coward teachers into what is clearly an administrative matter.

Posted by: lifeischeese
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Posted in: News on February 20, 2006 @ 12:00 AM

Tags: School

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