PHOTO: Mr. Abraham T. Carr
By Moses M. Tokpah, mosesmtokpah@gmail.com
The George V. Gibson (GVG) Memorial United Methodist High School in Kakata, Margibi County now has a new principal who will steer the affairs of the institution.
Mr. Abraham T. Carr officially took over recently from Rev. Alexander O. Boe who has served the institution for about four academy years.
Speaking during the turning over ceremony, the Director of the Department for General Education and Ministry (DGEM) of the United Methodist School System, Rev. Christopher G. Marshall said the transitional of principals is part of the rebranding process he promised the general board, the Bishop and his cabinet.
Rev. Marshall disclosed that when he took over the United Methodist School System in 2018 he promised the general board, the Bishop and the cabinet that in five years there will be a rebranding of the System indicating that he promised to do that to the best of his ability.
Christopher G. Marshall added that rebranding the system is part of the six items in his term of reference and point three, which gives him the responsibility for the overall administrative structuring of the United Methodist School System.
“I am the liaison between the Bishop, the general board and every educational stakeholder. I am the supervising principal for all sixty schools in the Republic of Liberia and the Republic of Guinea where my authority lies” he explained.
Rev. Marshall intoned that he goes to all the sixty schools where he carries out his monitoring and evaluation for the performance of his principals, vice principals and school administrators after which he reports to the general board, the cabinet and the Bishop.
He pointed out that when he finds it fate to take one principal from one school to another to perform it doesn’t mean that he is witch-hunting or downplaying anybody terming the recent turning over ceremony as the first event when it comes to transitioning principals.
“So it is from this vein that you see from part of our M&E Alexander O. Boe going to be transferred from here to Buchanan to Brumskine and Abraham Carr will be transferred from Brumskine here,” he stated.
For his part, the newly assigned Principal of the school, Abraham T. Carr has declared a tuition free school for students who will participate in extra curriculum activities at the institution.
Mr. Carr made the declaration on Monday, September 5, 2022, when he officially took over as principal of the institution.
The GVG new Principal in his statement said he believes in extra curriculum activities and as such, students who will participate in the different extra curriculum activities will have 100% tuition free privilege.
“As the senior and leading officer of this school, I hereby declare 100% tuition free for all kick-ballers and footballers, I also declare 100% tuition free for all quizzers, and I also declare 100% tuition free for all debate team,” the new GVG principal declared.
The Liberian educator said a child who just sit and cannot play is a waste, thereby encouraging the students to ensure that the curriculum activities in the school are realized.
Mr. Carr was quick to note that he does not only believe in sports, but he also believes in academia thus cautioning the students to attach seriousness to their study.
At the same time, the GVG Boss narrated that he will make sure that the institution be the light of Kakata when it comes to academic activities.
Principal Carr explained that since the 9th of August, he has discovered the problem of the school though he felt short of outlining the problem.
His coming to the school is to solve the problem along with the local school board, the PTA, the students and the administration, he assured.
He promised that in 90 days, there will be a difference between practical education and theoretical education at the George V. Gibson Memorial United Methodist High School adding that he believes in practical education then theoretical education.
Principal Carr explained that he also believes in transformational and transactional leadership in education. He then admonished the students, the school board, the parents and the administration to make the necessary sacrifices in order to reawaken the school.
The Department of Education of the United Methodist School System has also been assured that the policies of the department will be implemented to the fullest.
Meanwhile, the former Principal of the school, Rev. Alexander O. Boe thanked the Department of Education for the opportunity afforded him to have served the institution for four years (2018-2022).
He also lauded the teaching and administrative staffs and the local school board for the cordial working relation that existed among them during the time he led the institution.
Rev. Boe used the occasion to inform the gathering that the 113 students who wrote the 2021/2022 WASSCE exams all made a successful pass.
Seventy-eight of the 113 students passed 7 subjects, while 23 passed 6 subjects, 6 passed 8 subjects and 3 passed 5 subjects, respectively.
Rev. Boe concluded that none of his students passed in less than 5 subjects.