Sierra Leone: “Magburaka is rising again”…President Koroma
By State House Communications Unit – BOYS SCHOOL CAMPUS, Magburaka Town, 17 May, 2013/–His Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma has confidently told the people of Magburaka that their township is on the rise. “Magburaka is rising again with paved roads, solar-lit streets. Magburaka is rising again, with employment opportunities opening up for its inhabitants; Magburaka is rising again, with renewed zeal, faith and action. And with the rise of this town, our school, the Government Secondary School Magburaka, will continue to sustain its heritage of producing sterling leaders for all fields of endeavours in our country”, he said .
The president made this statement on the occasion of the 63rd Annual Speech Day, Award and Prize-Giving ceremony of the Magburaka Secondary School for Boys on Friday 17th May, 2013.
President Koroma said that Magburaka Boys School prepared them for leadership by inculcating in them a disciplined approach to life. “We woke up in the morning to a regime of drills and exercises to give us the will to persevere. We stood in queues for kondor that we may learn the virtues of order, patience and respect for authority. We were tortors when we entered this compound, but left this school ready to seize opportunities, ready to compete at the highest levels, and ready to move our communities and nation to higher heights”, said 1245, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma.
The Chief Executive informed the gathering about the increased interest in investment in the country with the signing of a $6 billion MOU with a Chinese company that will further increase employment opportunities in the country, especially for Magburaka and Tonkolili. “A railway will commence right here in Tonkolili and move on all the way to Sulima in Pujehun District”, he said, while adding that government is constructing technical vocational institutions all across the country, including Magburaka and Masingbi, where the African Minerals is helping to expand the existing technical institute and bring in new courses on the mining industry.
“But all these will not have positive impact if the youths are not discipline, studious and ready to seize the opportunities”, the president said, and went on to state that it was because of the seriousness government attaches to education that motivated it to pour more resources in education. “We have increased the salaries of teachers ranging from 200 to 400%, depending on the grade of the teacher; and this is more than any increase before by any government. We have recruited more teachers, over 6000, in our first term in office than any previous government. We increased salaries of lecturers in polytechnics and teacher training colleges by over 50%. We have increased subvention to universities”, he maintained amidst sustained applause.
“This year’s ceremony is one with a difference as we welcome especially an alumni of significance, who went through the school with distinction and pride, whose achievements both in the school, nationally and internationally are worthy of pride and emulation”, said the Chairman Board of Governors, Clifford Rotimie Roberts in his welcome address.
According to the Mr. Clifford Roberts, the board advocates for an educational system that is both knowledge-based and life skilled-based. Both, he said, compliment each other to develop students holistically. “This is the type of education that enables the student to be more functional and face the challenges of a rapidly developing world”, he said.
The Board Chairman also called on old boys to support the school and also recognize the great role the school played in their lives.
Delivering his statement as Chairman of the 63rd Annual Speech Day and Prize-Giving ceremony, Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Dr Minkailu Bah told the story of a young handsome boy who once darkened the walls of the Magburaka Boys School. “Once upon a time, a young handsome boy born in a modest family in the northern region headquarter town of Makeni walked into the campus of this great Magburaka Government Boys Secondary School , as a fresher. I have used the word Fresher deliberately to bring to mind what this young, determined and ambitious pupil must have encountered in the hands of the senior boys at the time. We never complained about it and we would never attempt to do so now because all of what transpired went to form what we all now look back to as the rich Ethos of the school that has made us what we are”, said Dr Minkailu Bah.
He further revealed that, that same handsome young man of noble pedigree is here again, but this time as the Chief Executive of the Sierra Leone Company. “Fellow alumni, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming 1245 Koroma, Ernest Bai, the first gentleman of our great Republic of Sierra Leone, a proud product of Magburaka Government Secondary School for Boys”, he said amidst rapturous approbation.
presenting his annual report, the Principal of Magburaka Government Secondary School for Boys, Mohamed Lamin Sesay noted that the internal examinations continue to be tougher and rigid. He also said that the school has applied different strategies to conduct internal exams. “A pupil should study harder before he gains promotion to the next form. This rigidity in our internal examinations has reflected in our pupils’ performance in the 2012 May/June WASSCE”, he revealed, and further said that the results were encouraging and better by far as compared to few years back.
