Gambia High in dire straits Principal Carr appeals to gov’t
The principal of The Gambia Senior Secondary School, Rev. Willie Carr, has
lamented the precarious financial situation of his school, calling for urgent
intervention from the government and the private sector for a prompt revival.
Using the occasion of the school’s speech and prize-giving ceremony Friday
Principal Carr revealed that The Gambia Senior Secondary School was in dire
financial straits due to the reduction of the grant-in-aid and school fees by
the government, thus hampering most of the school’s development projects and
programmes.
According to him, until 1997 the school was receiving D155, 000 as grant in
aid, but that was reduced to D137,004 in the intervening years. By the same
token he said, tuition fees, which used to be D250 was also slashed as the
school was mandated to subsidize students’ WAEC examination fees. ‘All
these, have interplayed to confine the school to a tight financial corner, so
severe to the extent that it owes about half a million Dalasis to its
bankers, NAWEC, and WAEC, among other institutions’ he revealed. He said for
the first time in the history of the school, staff salaries were being
delayed.
Carr, however said the school would cling to a ray of hope justified by its
provision of meaningful and relevant education to students to whom the future
of this nation belong. He sad the school continue to be a pace-setter in the
development of education in the country. To that end, he said the school is
expecting some science equipment worth about $79.000 from the United Kingdom,
which once installed, would further boost the quality of results produced by
the school. He also disclosed that work has already begun on some of the
school’s development programmes such as the renovation and maintenance of its
football pitch and road.
He appealed to the government, NGOs, businesses and public-spirited
individuals to assist the school financially to prevent it from going
bankrupt. Deliberating on the theme, ‘Gratitude’, the guest speaker, Justice
MamYassin Sey a former headgirl of the school, called on students to be
grateful and stop being demanding and thoughtless of the welfare of others.
She implored them to think of their less-fortunate brothers and sisters, who
are child soldiers, child laborers and sex workers. “Your harmony, peace,
security and future effectiveness as citizens of this country, depend upon
your maintenance of a thoughtful attitude in your public relations”, she
said.
She called on the graduating students to remember that the time has come for
them to confront the incessant challenges presented by the wider world
outside the school’s campus. “You must now mark out your workable
philosophies of life and prepare to meet society’s demand for closer
independence, vocational competence, responsible citizenry among others” she
admonished. The ceremony, which was punctuated by drama, was chaired by
Ousman Ndow the chairman of the school’s Board of Directors. Latir Carr, the
school’s out-going head boy delivered the vote of thanks.
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