By: Ben TC Brooks| RiverGee County Correspondent
River Gee County , Putuken -Monday,March 24, 2025 – Students of the Taith Memorial Elementary and Junior High School in Putuken, Chedepo Administrative district, River Gee County are sitting on the floor to learn due to the lack of chairs in classrooms.
Tiath memorial is the only public junior high school in the Chedepo Administrative district of River Gee and is in a deplorable condition with over 340 registered students during this 2024/25 academic calendar, according to the school principal.
Speaking in an interview with our reporter recently on the school campus in Putuken, following a tour in the district, the school principal, Blitee Saylee revealed that the school is experiencing serious shortages of armchairs, as the kindergarten division uses tarpaulin to sit on.
The school, which is located in a remote area of River Gee County, has no proper desks or chairs for the students to sit and write notes.
“The structure of the school building are seventh with enough classroom spaces but lack chairs and other basic teaching materials such as textbooks, notebooks and pencils,” Says, Mr. Saylee, school principal.
The school principal added that the lack of resources has been a major hindrance to the students’ learning and they are often distracted by the uncomfortable seating arrangements and the lack of basic materials.
The situation has also led to a decrease in enrollment, as many parents are reluctant to send their children to a school with such poor conditions. In addition, our reporter also found out that the school buildings are in terrible condition and require prompt action to avoid full collapse.
Mr. Ralph Dweh, a father whose three children are attending the school, expressed concerns about the lack of basic facilities and how this is affecting the children’s learning.
He said if nothing is done to arrest the poor learning situation in the school, he would send his children to Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County for better learning.
In a related development, the school also faces challenge of save drinking water. In 2004, the Danish Refugees Council (DRC) with founding from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR/DANIDA constructed hand pump on the school campus but in no used.
Student Abigail Jah of Taith Memorial told our reporter that during recess period, they leave the school campus go home to drink before returning to classes.
Since our school hand pump spoiled, nobody to repair it, so, more often during recess period, we leave the school campus, go home, drink and go back to classes until our hand pump can be repaired,”7th grade student Abigail Jah of TMA.
However, elders of the area are calling on the Ministry of Education to intervene and address the issues facing the school.
They have also urged non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to assist in improving the school’s condition.
The kids and youths in the town are in dire need of quality education; as such, MOE should urgently intervene in the lack of chairs and create a conducive atmosphere for learning.
They also added that the lack of qualified teachers is another impediment for students of the school, adding that some of the students from nearby villages walk over 30-45 minutes to get to the school, but sometimes there is no teacher because most of the teachers are not on government payroll.
However, the principal disclosed that the employment of teachers is essential to the growth and development of the school and underscored the importance of a good working facility that will help to curtail some of the difficulties students are going through on campus.
For staffing, the school has seven government paid teachers and eight volunteers whom the principal alleged go to work as they please.
However, county education officer of River Gee Mr. Jallah Sammy has acknowledged to the many challenges public and private schools face in the county but said plans are underway to address the situation.
Edited: Jesefu Morris Keita| Editor-In-Chief
