By Emma Black
The Head Teacher of the Pujehun District Council Primary School (PDCS) in Samabu village, Kpaka Chiefdom, says the school has ceased operations during the rainy season due to the unsafe condition of its buildings.
Head Teacher Augustine M. Kemoh expressed deep concern over the state of the school’s infrastructure, revealing that they have asked both pupils and teachers to remain at home during the rains for fear the building may collapse.
We have over 300 pupils in classes 1 through 6, Kemoh said. Thankfully, we completed exams, but we can’t even return to the school to prepare report cards because of the building’s condition.
Kemoh explained that the school has been deteriorating for years and that the situation worsened significantly after a recent heavy storm. He emphasized that the safety of the children is his top priority and they cannot risk exposing young learners to a collapsing structure.
This is the second year in a row that the government has not provided our school subsidy,” he lamented. “If we had received it, I would have replaced the old, worn-out zinc roof long ago.
Kemoh made a heartfelt appeal to the government and NGOs to intervene and construct a safe, modern school building for the community. Teachers and pupils would be overjoyed to have a proper learning environment, he said.
The absence of adequate infrastructure, he added, has seriously disrupted education. Whenever it rains, I feel discouraged because it means no school for the day. But education is key to development. Our children are eager to learn they arrive at school early on days when it doesn’t rain. But the weather has badly affected attendance and teaching.
Kemoh noted that despite reporting the issue to the district council, local stakeholders, and non-governmental organizations, there has been no response.
His fears are echoed by Chief Vandi Sao Rogers, a community leader in Samabu. The school is in a terrible state. Everything is damaged. We don’t even allow our children to go there anymore, the chief said. We are pleading with the government and partners to help us build a new school
Parents, worried about their children’s future, are now considering sending them to schools in far-off villages, which would mean long commutes for the young learners.
For now, the school remains closed during the rainy season another blow to education in rural Sierra Leone.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday,14th July, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
