By Gibao Brima

The establishment of numerous private schools and other learning institutions across the country thought to be a value added to the country’s ailing educational system has instead proved to be an additional problem on the shoulders of the impoverished parents who are struggling to cater for their children in public institutions of learning.

Parents had hoped or thought that the establishment of these private schools was to add quality to the falling education system in public schools.

During the early seventies to    late eighties education was at its zenith in Sierra Leone. Little or nothing was none about the establishment of private schools. Teachers were committed to teaching with little salary and less privileges as compared to now where teachers are only interested in extorting money from the poor parents without the least mercy. During those days even with the few available facilities education kept booming. Like the teachers, students were equally determined to study hard, with high competition among them which made them pass their public exams with reliance on examination malpractice (spy) like witnessed these days.

Serious and determined students were able to pass the General Certificate Examination Ordinary Level (GCE O’ Level) what is now the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Exams (WASSCE). Some students who had requirements were finding pleasure to take the Advanced Level (A’ Level) exams before going to university.   All was due to the high competition among schools, teachers and the students with individual schools or students wanting to boast others of better results. But sadly, that narrative has changed.

Given the rapid fall in our educational system one would like to ask where we have gone wrong as a nation even with the establishment of the many private schools across the country.

Many people are still doubtful whether these private schools are of any help to put our education system back on track if not an addition to the existing problems. This again has led to people asking the question as to who is actually regulating private schools.

While some private schools are doing well others are just like any establishment to extort money from parents with no added value to education with pupils hardly getting university requirement after exams.

As a proof that these private schools are money making institutions, parents are forced to buy poor quality and oversized school uniforms with the cost being tailored in school charges as with text and exercise books. In addition parents have to buy over charged school ‘polo’ which kids wear on special days.

On special occasions like sports meet and outing, parents have to compulsively buy tickets at exorbitant amount whether they attend those functions or not.

Like in public schools teachers in these so-called private schools have also resorted to collecting from parents before releasing their kid report cards. This is really a sad situation which has forced many concerned citizen to ask the question who is actually regulating private schools, who they said are becoming more of liability to poor parents.