Roof Leaking As ‘Heavy Rain Disrupts Classes’
By Austin Wisseh, awiss8845@gmail.com
PHOTO: The Bondiway Public School needs urgent help
One of the oldest government schools in Liberia’s Margibi County is the Bondiway Public School but this learning institution is facing some serious challenges with run down infrastructure and leaking roof, as the rains have begun to disrupt classes with the onset of the rainy season.
The school is a government-owned junior high that has a population of at least 250 students. It is the only public school that is trying to meet the educational needs of students from several towns and villages in the area.
On a visit to Bondiway Town at the Weekend, www.newspublictrust.com Reporter captured some of the problems through photos of classrooms that are experiencing the leakage.
“The elementary section of our school will not have classes whenever it rains,” an assigned teacher, Jenneh Kanneh told us.
She expressed uncertainty as the rain season sets in:
“During the rainy season last school year, the elementary classes were always disrupted, or the students did not come to school due to flooding in the classrooms. It was a pity to watch us bid water off the classrooms severally, before continuing the lessons during rain that caught us in classes,” Ms. Kanneh stated.
The Bondiway Public School was founded on February 23, 1963. It is currently supervised by the Mamba Kaba Education District of the Margibi County School System.
Bondiway Town is located on the outskirts of division #3, in Firestone Liberia, which host one of the world largest natural rubber plantation. The town also hosts a Magisterial Court and a Prison Compound. Bondiway has hundreds of residents including nearby villages and towns in district # one, Margibi County – Liberia.
The District Education Officer, Andrew Kweanuan confirmed the current plight of the school.
“That school is one of the oldest schools in that community. I think it has spent 10 years and most of the zincs had rot and the wind took off some of the roof on that side [the elementary section]. Last academic year, the school was able to do some renovation work on the other annex,” the DEO Kwaenuan said.
“There are four annexes on that campus, Firestone recently renovated an annex and the PTA [Parent Teacher Association] has been doing well with renovation works from donations they get. It was a recent wind that took down some zinc from the building [Bondiway Public School]. It is not unique to Bondiway Public School. At most of our schools, we have challenges,” The DEO said.
When asked for the way forward, Mr. Kwaenuan replied: “We will work with the principal to purchase some zinc for manner renovation while the Ministry of Education prepares to come in”, he concluded.
A source has hinted that the Minister of Education, Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah will visit schools in Lower Margibi beginning, Monday, April 29. It is not clear if Minister Jallah and her team will visit the Bondiway Public School.
During this Reporter’s recent tour of the School, it was learned that there was an acute shortage of seating capacity for both the students and staff. A good portion of the available chairs were broken and needing repair.
