Gbarnga — Police in Gbarnga on Sunday fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse graduating senior students of the Nathaniel Varney Massaquoi and Dolokelen Gboveh High Schools in Gbarnga who took to the streets to protest the cancelation of their thanksgiving programs by the Ministry of Education.
The students early Sunday morning set road blocks at the Jor Creek, demanding the reinstatement of their thanksgiving services, scheduled for September 29, 2024.
The Ministry of Education, through the Bong County School System on Sunday evening issued a release, abruptly cancelling thanksgiving services for all schools that underperformed in the WASSCE exams.
However, the students, in expression of their disenchantment, barricaded the Jor Creek, causing disruption in traffic. They quickly escaped the protest scene when the police began firing teargas to disperse them from road.
The Bong County School System in collaboration with civil society organizations and the county administration later intervened and called the students to an hour-long meeting held at the Gbarnga Administration Building.
During the meeting, the aggrieved students' representatives expressed disappointment in MoE's decision and said it was hasty.
"They were to inform us soon and yesterday. We had bought some materials and food stuffs in celebration of our exit from high school and postponing this ceremony would cause us to loose."
They demanded the Bong County School System to cite that part of the policy, prohibiting the holding of thanksgiving services.
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In response to the students, Bong County Education Office, Rev. Armah Varflee, along with the civil society organizations, police and the county administrator, Sam Elliot, condemned the aggrieved students protest and said their action could undermine the peace.
Rev. Varfee maintained that organizing thanksgiving services or graduation ceremonies for students who did meet the criteria set by MoE for graduation violates the existing policies.
"There are no thanksgiving services for schools that underperformed in the national exams. Doing so is a violation of MoE's policy set up for graduation."
Prior to cancellation of thanksgiving services for schools that underperformed in the WASSCE exams, Gbarnga School District One Education Officer, David Gbokay encouraged schools with failure in Math and English to host thanksgiving service, assuring them that it was in line with MoE Graduation Policy.
Based on this, many schools in Gbarnga including Sumo Moye Institute, Zuannah Memorial Institute, and CAN Leadership had conferred diplomas on students at non-graduation ceremonies without any hindrance.
The Bong County Education Officer cautioned the students to file an official written complaint to MoE in two weeks for redress.
However, representatives of the CSOs, Aaron Sackie-Fenlah and Mulbah Howard blamed the protest to contradiction in information provided by the Bong County School System.
