Attitudinal Change Movement for Schools Launched

School pupils continue to embrace the concepts of good attitude and behaviour as pupils of the Government Municipal Secondary School Kissy on Friday, 7^th March 2014 launched the Attitudinal Change Movement for Schools.  (Photo: Alhassan Sesay, President of the Attitudinal Change Movement)

The movement was launched with the theme “Are We? Yes We Are for the Best” and it is said to be one that will collaborate with other schools in order to ensure that pupils put on good attitudes and behaviour for the brighter future of Sierra Leone.

The Chairman of the Ceremony Mr. Anthony S. Massaquoi in his statement noted that the mind sets of people are the garden of their lives, adding that what people plant in their lives determines their destinies.

He asked the pupils to have the right mind sets, encouraging the invited Schools to copy the same thing by establishing the movement in their schools so that their behaviours and attitudes will be evident as pupils.

The Chairman, Council of Principles Sierra Leone, Mr Sylvester Meheux told the pupils that they are the future leaders of Sierra Leone, stating that it is often said, that education is what change is, but also noted that whatever education one has determines the right attitudes.

The Chairman further noted that, in the absence of good behaviour no learning takes place, he went on saying that any person that is educated must have good attitude and behaviour.

“This is the best movement that any school should have” he said, pointing that the pupils are the bedrocks of development in Sierra Leone. He also encouraged pupils from other schools to establishment similar movement in their schools.

He pledged the financial and moral support of the Conference of Principles to the movement, he told members of the movement to be very close to the Conference of Principles and also to continue preaching the concepts of positive attitude and behaviour to their colleagues.

The Senior Communications Officer at the Attitudinal and Behavioural Change (ABC) Secretariat Madam Agnes Ngombu who represented the Secretariat in her statement told the pupils that they cannot control what happens to them but they can control their attitudes towards what happens to them, she encouraged them to master change rather than allowing change to master them.

She said that she was happy to be part of the change agents in order to achieve the dream of President Koroma, adding that she hoped that the step taken by members of the Movement would be emulated by other schools across the country so that positive transformation will be part of the lives of Sierra Leoneans.

The representative of the ABC Secretariat informed the pupils that the Secretariat is working with schools and communities in the drive toward positive attitude and behaviour, and was happy for the moves of the pupils.

She also noted that the role of the ABC Secretariat is to take the lead in influencing positive attitudes and behaviour by informing and educating Sierra Leoneans to have positive mind sets.

“To be an agent of change, you have to be role models in your schools and communities, and you should  be counsellors for change” she told them, adding that they should not be the ones pelting stone on their colleagues during sport and other activities.

She also pledged the support of the Attitudinal and Behavioural Change (ABC) Secretariat to the Attitudinal Change Movement as they pupils are complementing the efforts of the Secretariat.

Mr Martin M. Musa, Vice Principle of the Government Municipal Secondary School noted that the launching was a mile stone in the existence of the movement and that the school would continue to support the movement.

He disclosed that he was impressed when the president of the movement first approached him with the idea, because he trusts the characters of the membership and since the aims and objectives of the membership rhymes with the codes and conducts of his school especially in terms of discipline the school accepted the movement.

The Vice Principal noted that it would yield good fruits if pupils are given the Opportunity to speak to their peers in order to avoid anti-social behaviours, to start taking sound decisions on issues affecting their future amongst others.

He noted that to achieve goals in everything comes by deliberate effort, self-discipline and determination, adding that as members of the attitudinal change movement, they should match with the codes and conducts of their movement and to be role models to their colleagues.

“If you choose to Corporate with Authorities in schools and around your communities, this single decision to form this movement will positively influence others to copy your example” he told them, noting that they should be preaching what they are practising.

Mariama Anthony Kamara, a member of the movement noted that the Attitudinal Change Movement for schools is one that has a good vision for all school pupils, pointing also that it is calling on pupils to be very punctual in school, love for Sierra Leone as their Country as well as love for their neighbours and behave the way they are expected as pupils.

Alhassan Sesay, President of the Attitudinal Change Movement for schools in his statement acknowledged that the challenge they have taken to promote education morally in order to help their colleagues behave the way they are expected is a very big one, but they will not relent.

The President also stated that the movement helps to prevent violence which would lead pupils in the right direction and to respect their teachers, their fellow colleagues and enable them to be able to contribute meaningfully in society.

“I wish this Nation a complete change of attitude of School Pupils for prosperity for all” he disclosed, he furthered by saying that he wished to see a Sierra Leone that is free from Arms Conflict as well as one that is free from corruption which is the main obstacle to the development in Sierra Leone.

He mentioned that as President of the movement, he wants to accomplish the dreams of President Ernest Bai Koroma, as the President is very firm in seeing that Sierra Leoneans put on good attitudes and behaviours in all sectors of life.

In an interview, the President of the movement disclosed that his movement is going to work very hard to see that other schools in the country imbibe similar view.

Adding that part of their work would be to preach to their colleagues about the essence of positive attitudes and behaviours and to mount a robust anti-violence campaign in schools.

He also condemned those pupils that often seize the opportunity of sport meets to do all sorts of things that are not expected of school pupils, he called on other schools and Organisations to partner with his movement in ensuring that school pupils behave like school pupils.

Bademba Jalloh, a pupil representative from the Ahmaddiyya Muslim Secondary School, Kissy lauded the efforts made by pupils of  Government Municipal Secondary School to establish the Attitudinal Change Movement.

He disclosed that some times last month the Attitudinal and Behavioural Change (ABC) Secretariat organized three day training for pilot schools and he was one of the pupil participants for his schools.

He added that the participants of that training learnt a lot, he explained to the gathering at the ceremony that attitude is the way one thinks and feels which could either be positive or negative, while behaviour is the way one responds to people, things, environment  or issues.

Bademba Jalloh continued saying that; positive attitude coupled with good behaviour leads to higher status in life; he went on calling his colleagues to have good mentors in their lives if they want to succeed.

He noted that as agents of change; their duty is to go to the other schools to preach to their colleagues about positive attitudes and behaviours so that they would have a better Sierra Leone.

The programme ended with attitudinal and behavioural change drama and songs, while certificates were also issued to members of the club.

ABC Communications Unit

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