In its drive to empower school pupils in the fight against corruption, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has on Thursday 21st March 2019 hosted a conference for all its School Integrity Clubs in the Western Area Urban and Rural.
Speaking at the St. Anthony Parish Hall in Freetown, Head of Public Education Unit, Michael Sesay, expressed appreciation to the Clubs for spreading anti-corruption messages in the schools. He entreated the Teacher Coordinators to be committed in coordinating the affairs of the clubs and making them vibrant. He said the conference was to enhance the effectiveness of the clubs and clearly define their roles and responsibilities.
The Head of Unit noted that the conference was to provide a platform for pupils and teachers of the fifteen schools Integrity Clubs to interact and share ideas, clearly understand their roles and responsibilities and to also develop uniform activity plan.
On behalf of his colleagues, Thomas A. Sesay, Teacher Coordinator, Freetown Secondary School for Girls Integrity Club, commended ACC for bringing Integrity Clubs together to chart the way forward. He assured the Commission of their determination to make the clubs vibrant and effective. The Teacher Coordinator highlighted various challenges faced by them in coordinating the affairs of the clubs and called for more support from the ACC
Speaking on the roles and responsibilities of the Integrity Clubs, Senior Public Education Officer, Al-Hassan Sesay, said they are not spies of the ACC nor policing their school administration. He emphasized that the Clubs were formed to capture and nurture integrity in the minds of pupils.
He encouraged school authorities not to see members of the Integrity Club as spies for ACC or means of witch hunt but as pupils determined to instil the virtues of integrity among their colleagues and as well helping the administration in fighting corruption within the school. He disclosed that the Commission had established thirty seven (37) Integrity Clubs across the country so that pupils would be positioned to understand the issues of corruption and imbibe the virtues of integrity in them.
Sesay said the clubs were established to reach out to the pupils so that they in turn will assist the Commission in fighting against corruption in schools. He said the Clubs were a platform to educate and disseminate information to pupils in order for them to meaningfully spread anti-corruption messages. He added that it was meant to instil discipline and inculcate a sense of accountability and responsibility in school pupils.
The Senior Public Education Officer said ACC recognizes the importance of school pupils in the fight against corruption, which is why they are constantly being engaged to take decisive and firm position on the fight against corruption.
The Senior Public Education Officer lamented that corruption has negatively affected the standard of education in Sierra Leone and highlighted various corrupt practices prevalent in schools. He therefore urged members of the clubs to stand firm against those practices and report to ACC. He encouraged them to take decisive and firm position on the fight against corruption and serve as peer educators.
Share anti-corruption messages to colleagues and deepen public understanding and knowledge about the fight against corruption, Mr. Sesay averred.
The plenary session was facilitated by ACC’s Public Education Officer, Alhaji A.K. Bangura, wherein the fifteen schools were divided into three groups to develop plan of activities. Presentations were done by the respective groups followed by action points.