Celebrating 88 Years of Existence: St. Edwards Sec. Still a Trail Blazer

A deliberation on academia in Sierra Leone is incomplete without mentioning the name of the great academic province of St. Edwards Secondary school. Situated at May Park grounds Kingtom, this school has been a trail blazing institution and its proud products have made tremendous contributions in Sierra Leone’s as well as world history. St. Edwards has a lot of firsts when counting the contributions it illustrious sons and daughters have made in the development of Sierra Leone. The first democratically elected president, first pilot produced by Sierra Leone, first internationally acclaimed football star, First Chairman of the independent Media Commission, first female chief justice in Sierra Leone, the first native priest of Sierra Leone, first head of department of the Mass Communication department are but few in the country’s recent history. (Photo: Brima Karl Samura) 

Commencing with seven foundational pupils namely, Anthony Tucker, Sylvester Tucker, James Massaly, Edward Farra, Albert M. Margai, Willie Luke and Joseph Luke, the School was founded on the 6^th of February 1922. It was originally located at Howe Street and in 1946 moved to the army huts at Brookfield’s where St. Joseph’s Secondary School now Stands. The School eventually and finally moved to Kingtom where it presently stands in 1959. The popularity of this great School started under the tenure of Reverend Father Mulcahy as Principal. Under him, the School became so well known for its outstanding performance in Sports, Scouting and education that Father Mulcahy’s name became a household name. Indeed, the School became so remarkable that even Muslims did not mind sending their children to the School even though it was a Catholic Missionary School and as mentioned above, the countless number of notable people who went through this school transcends ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds. It is worth noting that for most of the prominent names amongst the Indian and Lebanese community in Sierra Leone actually attended and also sent their children to the School. 

 

St Edwards Secondary School, May Park, Kingtom

 

I entered St. Edwards in the 1990/91 academic year and what a joy it was for me to be fully clad in the enviable blue and white uniform. Hailing from an Islamic background myself, I was little conscious about the School being a Catholic Missionary School and perhaps the positive values of leadership, friendship and devotion to ones calling that was imbibed in us helped to shape my present disposition on life in general. I must confess that I have never and nor will I ever regret passing through St. Edwards Sec. School. Every aspect of the School’s life helped in injecting a spirit of excellence and competitiveness in us. It is therefore not supervising that anywhere you find Edwardians’ they are bound to shine. It was the first choice for pupils in the former educational system from many secondary Schools to do their sixth form. It was not uncommon in those days to see pupils trooping from the Annie Walsh Memorial School, the Albert Academy, the Prince of Wales Secondary School, the Bo School, Christ the King College, the Grammar School, St. Josephs Secondary School and even private Schools like the Lebanese School and the former King Herman Preparatory School to gain entrance to the six form which catered for the liberal Arts and Commercial Students. Today, over sixty percent of the Lawyers in the Country actually went through St. Edwards and gained part of their oratory skills in the vibrant Literary and debating society that was in existence.

Challenges 

Challenges are inevitable occurrences which often emerge at different epochs in a Country’s or an institutions life. Even at the best of times there are challenges that will certainly have to be contended with and St. Edwards has had its own bit of problems which had often marred the image of the School. However, the problems of the School can be traced to the Post-war reconstruction process which saw the transformation of the School from a single shift to a double shift and the influx of pupils who had participated in the conflict as a way of re-integrating them into society. As a government assisted School, the authorities had no alternative but to absorb some of these pupils and the consequent effect was somehow counterproductive as they succeeded in contaminating some of the pupils which often resulted to violent behavior of pupils. Added to this were the nefarious practices of certain teachers who were using dubious means to admit pupils to the School.

Effacing the Stain

Tackling the attendant problems of a School which has been invaded by malcontented and misguided pupils is sometimes a herculean task and the aftershock of it is currently causing a ripple effect on the good image of the School. On the ninth February two days after the annual foundation day ceremony of the School, a local tabloid ‘The Atomic’ had in its front page a news report with the caption “St. Edwards rebels strike again”, this was a cause of major concern and necessitated an inquest from this writer. It was a time to clinically excavate the current challenges of the School and put them into perspective. The current principal of the Junior Secondary School Mr. Johnson Cole was open minded and frank in discussing these challenges. The first problem has to do with the number of pupils which seems to be quite higher than what the school can actually accommodate. Majority of the pupils in this number, actually entered the school through the back doors and do not often meet the requisite criterion to enter the school. Conversely, a robust move by the principals of both shifts Mr. Wyse and Johnson Cole to rid the School of the bad eggs does not seem to be going down well with such misguided pupils. Back by some rebellious teachers, these pupils seem bent on disrupting the normal functions of the school. According to Mr. Johnson Cole, the school was struggling with approximately 1,750 (One thousand seven hundred and fifty pupils) and through a thorough process of weeding has expelled about 600 hundred pupils who were mostly unqualified to be in the School. This has however had a serious impact on the financial status of the School said Mr. Johnson Cole. Formerly, the school use to have an income turnover of 102 million Leones but with the drastic cut down in the number of pupils, this figure has depreciated to less than 70 million Leones which is putting serious strains on the administration of the School.

Other constraints include the availability of few experienced teachers and also teachers whose approval from the Ministry of education is still pending coupled with the exodus of trained teachers fir greener pastures. The classrooms are also in need of furniture while the entire School requires painting.

Discipline

With the stance of the current principals to restore the good image of the School, the School now maintains an appreciable degree of discipline while efforts are still being made to get rid of remaining indiscipline pupils. Currently, an average of 55 pupils now occupy a class room and can be easily identified says Mr. Cole. In the last BECCE exams, the School made an entrant of 439 pupils and recorded a 338 passes in five subjects and above an improvement which came as a result of the cut down in number.

Role of Old Boys

Old Edwardians have been helpful over the years but a lot more effort is needed from them. Few have actually been consistently helpful to the school and notable amongst them are Mr. Tunde Cole of the National Petroleum Company, Mr. S.B.B Dumbuya majority leader in parliament, Dr. Victor Kabbia of the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology and Dr. Allister Walton Davie. The US and UK/Ireland Chapters of the School have been helpful in equipping two class rooms with tables and chairs and though the relationship with the local chapter is cordial much more is expected from them to re-model the wellbeing and image of the School. Edwardians locally are therefore urged to come to the aid of the School. The prize giving and thanksgiving respectively comes on the 25^th and 28^th of February 2010. In spite of the trying times, despite the difficulties, regardless of the financial strangulations the school is facing at the moment, even though misguided elements are trying hard to destroy the good image of the school, the School continues to produce trail blazing sons who continue to impact our nation positively. They are prominent everywhere, and anywhere they go, they leave indelible footprints in the sands of time. St. Edwards will continue to shine through the ages and the scrolls of momentous will never be full without inscribing the exploits of the great sons and daughters of this School. The name Edwardian proudly stands, in our country’s honor role, inspiring us to follow close, those whom to great height rose.

Brima Karl Samura, Freetown

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