Sande, Poro Society Activities Empty Schools

MONROVIA – The British charitable organization Save the Children- UK (SC-UK) has completed a three-day school supervision, monitoring and evaluation course for District Education Officers (DEOs), school principals and some teachers in Bong County at the Regional Education Office in Gbarnga.

Giving the objectives and an overview of the course, the acting team leader for the education program of Save the Children in Bong County, Emmanuel Gogoe, said the training targeted eight DEOs and 32 principals selected from the eight education districts of the county. He added that the course was meant to sharpen the skills and knowledge base of the participants and to put in place a mechanism that will enhance effective school management and instruction, and to promote quality teaching and learning in primary schools in the county.

He added that the training would facilitate the development of supervision tools, the mentoring and supervision of teachers, and students’ participation in class discussion, among other benefits.

The training workshop, which took place in January 27-29, ended with participants recommending that SC-UK include private schools in the program.

The teachers, who spoke to the Daily Observer at the close of the training, complained that many of the public schools in the leeward districts of the county are virtually empty as the result of the resumption of the activities of ‘Sande’ and ‘Poro’ secret societies.

“Most of the parents have sent their girl children into the Sande bush, leaving the schools completely empty. Government compulsory and primary education is not holding in my school as a result of the activities the secret ‘Sande’ school,” Allison Kpakilah, principal of Worlorsue Public School in Sanoyea District, told the Daily Observer.

The teachers want the government to hold meetings with traditional leaders and effect some adjustment in the activities of the traditional bush schools.