By Allieu Sahid Tunkara
A Child, name withheld, is in a commercial bus during school hours performing a conductor role to eke a living.
It was a sultry Monday morning when pupils, except otherwise, are supposed to be in school but the little boy who said he was in JSS-1 was not school at such prime time.
The child’s colleagues are splendid in their school attires chatting in gaiety. But, he did not care to look at his colleagues but to collect money from passengers.
His eyes are constantly glued to the passengers to ensure no one escapes payment.
Passengers were alarmed owing to the child’s age and questioned him why he was not in school at that particular time. The little child retorted in Krio “Ar cam fen am.” The response did not seem to have gone down well with the passengers who rebuked him ostensibly for the retort, but latently for being absent from school.
As if to convince the people of his presence in the bus, the child also told them his parents find it difficult to provide all what he needs for schooling. “For now, I need books, bags, shoes and other materials,” the child said.
By virtue of the child’s statements, truth could be deduced as the FQE project does not cover the purchase of such materials.
Another passenger, a lady seems worried about the child’s future saying he is too young to be an apprentice in a vehicle. “It is too early for such a child to be in the street running behind vehicles. If he remains in that condition till he grows up, it would be a serious problem for his future,” the passenger said.
The discussions about the child’s fate continued for almost an hour in the bus. But, the child on whom the whole discussion was centred was not interested in the discussion.
He was busy touting for passengers to come into the vehicle. “All my concern is to make money so that I can get back to school,” the child said.
The driver and the other apprentices were busy exposing the child to money as the discussions raged.
The bus arrived at the destination, last station at Calaba Town, east of Freetown. Everyone disembarked for their destinations. The child remained in the bus calling other passengers to come in.
Not too far from last station, another child, Gibril Sesay was seen along the street begging from passers-by. It was school hours, but he was not in school.
When questioned about why he was in the street and not in school, he said he had no one to take care of him. “I am brought to Freetown by my aunt, but she is not taking care of me. That is why I am not in school,” the child complained.
The little child was given some money by sympathetic women in the streets. “The children brought to Freetown are really suffering because their parents are far off from them. It is really good for a little child to be with their parents until they come of age,” the lady opined.
The FQE project is the government flagship that has enjoyed huge investment over the years. It was on this basis the government was voted in during the 2018 general elections.
It was the promise that won the attention of voters especially first time voters.
The proclamation of President Bio for the actualisation of the FQE project was made in parliament in his maiden parliamentary address.
A great majority of Sierra Leoneans were highly sceptical about the implementation of the FQE project considering the cost involved.
However, the project became a reality in Sierra Leone and school enrolments increased tenfold. Children whose parents could not afford school were ecstatic. School drop-out was appreciably reduced.
On the first day of the academic year, schools were over-crowded and some pupils had to take benches to school to ease accommodation problems.
The proclamation and commencement of the FQE project means additional duties and responsibilities for most government institutions. The Ministry of Basic and Senior School Education (MBSE), parliament, district councils and other community stakeholders are the key agencies expected to provide the most effective FQE monitoring and oversight.
It is that hoped with such monitoring, the FQE project would be on record as one of the greatest success stories on the continent.
However, weak monitoring system may defeat the good intention of the FQE in Sierra Leone.
Prior to the FQE pronouncement, Freetown City Council (FCC), a local government agency in Freetown municipality had bye-laws forbidding children to sell or perform menial jobs during school periods.
The council bye-laws were being implemented when Ebola virus struck in May 2014. The gains made in the bye-law enforcement were reversed.
Hopes were restored when Ebola subsided in November 2016. Expectations about FCC’s strong involvement in the FQE venture are high, but the council seems to have reneged on this responsibility.
Virtually, MBSE’s monitoring role has been questioned since the inception of the FQE project. The ministry, years back, was known for an active inspectorate unit.
The unit maintained a committed staff of inspectors who ensured an effective school system in the country. However, the inspectorate unit does not seem to be highly functional as it was then.
Despite the weak monitoring system, the FQE is being rolled out.
A teacher in one of the secondary Schools in Freetown, Ibrahim Bangura is disgusted with the manner in which FQE is implemented in the country.
Bangura has served the teaching profession for over 20 years and held positions of trust in the school system.
When asked about his impression about the FQE project, he told Nightwatch that the structures necessary for the success of the project are virtually non-existent. “One of the structures absent is monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the project,” Bangura said.
Bangura explains that, although teachers are yet to be properly catered for under the project, the system has to be monitored for the desired result to be recorded. “Any project without an effective monitoring, reporting and evaluation system is bound to fail,” Bangura empahsised. “Half-yearly or annual evaluation is the best methodology for the project,” he recommended.
Bangura’s recommendations seem watertight as malpractices rearing their heads in the school system are many varied.
Under the FQE, no school authority, excluding private school authorities, is permitted to collect money from pupils in respect of every school activity as the government foots the bill.
Abundant evidence indicates that school authorities still maintain cavalier ways to extort money from pupils.
The recent investigation by the Anti-Graft agency, of a Principal in one of the schools in the southern town of Bo in respect of extortion of money from pupils stands as a prominent example.
The money, according to the principal, was meant to rent a mini stadium in Bo for extracurricular activities.
Quite recently, The agency also refunded pupils in Makeni and Magburaka whose money was extorted by school authorities.
The continued extortion of money is keeping most pupils away from schools. Gibril and the JSS-1 pupil in the bus might be the two victims.
The two abnormal cases call for effective monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the FQE project to realise the desired result