Pupils Accuse Principal of Extortion
By: Alimamy Jalloh
Pupils of the SLMC Senior Secondary School situated within the Lowcost Community east- end of Freetown have alleged that their Principal and other authorities within the school have demanded moneys from them for the collection of their report cards.
Andrew Charlie Sesay is accused of asking pupils to pay the sum of Le30,000 for their school report card, and Le50,000 for the construction of the school perimeter fence. Without which they claim their report cards would not be given to them.
On a visit to the school on 19th July 2021, it was noticed that few teachers were sitting close to a desk with report cards on one of the floors, while the Principal, parents and guardians were seated on the second floor of the school building waiting for their pupils’ report cards.
Upon arrival at the principal’s office a woman who claimed to be a parents, was seated there. She later claimed to have paid the required sum before she entered and collected her child’s report card. Many other parents were standing outside waiting to be called upon.
Responding to the said allegation, Mr Andrew Charlie Sesay the school’s Principal disclosed that before asking the pupils to pay the sum of Le80,000 each, parents had already registered their consent at a CTA meeting that was held recently in the school.
He revealed that their resolution to pay was part of the minutes of the said CTA meeting. He pointed out that neither him nor any of the teachers coerced any pupil to pay the money, but encouraged all of them to pay by installments of Le15,000 per term so as to lessen the burden upon them.
He further pointed out that the school was approved last term but none of the 14 teachers in the Senior Secondary level has been given a pin code, whilst noting that government subsidy was given recently but it was not enough to run the school. He said that the Le50,000 that the school seeks to collect shall be used as development fee for the SLMC school.
