By Ragan M. Conteh
Parents, whose children are attending government schools across Sierra Leone, have showered praises on the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) led-government, especially President Julius Maada Bio, for the free quality education flagship project.
In Kenema, Madam Sembunatu Saquee, a single parent of four children, disclosed in an interview with this medium that the SLPP government’s free quality education project is a success to them as parents.
“I used to pay millions of Leones for my four children in school but today since the free education started, I did not pay a dime, in fact the government has promoted me and my children in such a way that we are only fighting for what me and children eat and their launch”
According to Madam Saquee, President Bio did not make any mistake to appoint Dr. Alpha Timbo as Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, a man that millions hold in high esteem in the country.
Madam Sembunatu Saquee furthered that the Minister during his visit to Kenema, told residents that no parents should pay a dime for their children in government schools, adding that the government has catered for all children’s school fees, books, school feeding and many other provisions as enshrined in the free quality scheme.
In Makeni, Suliaman Ben Serry, said the SLPP is well known as lovers of education since time in-memorial, adding that introducing free quality education by this regime is not a surprise, but it is just a continuation of their long standing policies to ensure that the Sierra Leone society regains its lost glory.
Suliaman Ben Serry says his two daughters attend government schools in Makeni and that since the introduction of the free education scheme, they have never asked for a dime.
“I am happy that President Bio as a father of democracy has again become the father of free quality education in Sierra Leone, it would be tough for me this year because I am sick but thank God I will not pay fees for my daughters”
Yesterday 2nd July 2019, some schools in the Western Area Urban that wanted to sabotage the free quality education by taking monies from students, were raided by School Monitors and all the monies taken from students have been retrieved.
“Government has given us the mandate to pursue any one especially school authorities that want to overturn government’s policies on education in favor of their personal interests,” one of the monitors said.
Mr. Alfred Sankoh in Allen Town says he has no doubt on the current leadership of the country especially so when Bio has continued to exhibit good leadership examples that well-meaning Sierra Leoneans should follow if Sierra Leone should develop.
He said the burden on parents who normally pay for six students has been drastically cut down by the government which shows that the government has love for its people, and appealed to the regime not to compromise saboteurs on any government projects that aim at developing the human capacity for the development of Sierra Leone.
Mr. Alfred Sankoh applauded the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr. Alpha Timbo for his resilient effort to help vulnerable Sierra Leoneans who cannot afford to pay school fees for their children to now send their children to school with no cost attached.
He said he was sure of rapid improvement on education in the coming years, especially so the stands by government to curtail examination malpractices in all education sectors and pleaded to government not to succumb to saboteurs or deceivers that do not want the progress of the country’s education.
Many parents who spoke to this medium reiterated the benefits so far derived from the free quality education scheme initiated by President Bio and vowed to be very supportive to ensure its smooth running.