In order for change to have its root in all corners of our societies, the Attitudinal and Behavioural Change Secretariat has started forming and inaugurated their ABC School Clubs across the country, as the saying goes ”catch them when they are young”.  (Photo: Members of the High Table)

The Attitudinal and Behavioural Change on the 12th May 2014 inaugurated its first school club in the South (Bo). The Pupils of the Hope Royal College School were inaugurated in to the ABC School Club on the 12th May, following the training which was held for the pilot schools in the south.

The Chairman who happens to be the Principal of the School Mr. Richmond C. Junisa  in his opening remarks told the pupils that they are blessed to be chosen as the first school in the South to be inaugurated and he pledge the commitment of his teachers  to seeing that the attitudes of his pupils are rebranded. He told the gathering that Sierra Leone was once known as the Anthem of West Africa but the Country is now graded as the least as this country has been widely known for corruption and corrupt practices.

On the part of Education, Sierra Leone was the first in Africa but today it is on the contrary, vices like exam malpractice, truancy and other negative attitudes has destroy the image of this country and we don’t want the youths to continue toeing the line. He encouraged the pupils to change their attitudes for the good of Sierra Leone. The Chairman told the Secretariat that he is very happy for the step they have taken to reach out to young people’ ‘if such Organisation is not in this country, we will be heading for doom ”he emphasized.

The National Coordinator and Second in command, Madam Nanette Thomas in her statement spoke about the lack of performance in Public examination in  Secondary schools, violence, teenage pregnancy, truancy ,indiscipline and lack of respect for authorities, negative peer influence ,deviance and socially unacceptable behaviour on the part of pupils and extra school charges, lack of standards and values, examination malpractices, sexual harassment ,sexually transmitted grades, extra lesson fees on saturdays when the pupils should be helping their parents or guardians at home. She stressed that the above listed things are negative attitudes on the part of pupils and the administration concerned. She also told them that in a bid to galvanise support to build the capacity of school children and authorities to effectively combat the high rate of indiscipline and lawlessness in schools and to restore dignity, discipline and positive attitudes within the learning arena, the ABC Secretariat has trained four pilot schools in each of the regions of Sierra Leone as agent of Change, making it a total of 16 schools country wide.

She told the pupils that they are expected to serve as role models and paragon of good and excellent attitudes and behaviours in schools, they should take the leading role in influencing or injecting positive attitude and behaviour to their peers, schools and communities, and that they are expected to take part in radio discussion programmes she emphasized.

Madam Femusu, assistant secretary from the provincial secretary’s office in her key note address told the pupils that ”today marks another mile stone in the history of Bo as we are witnessing the inauguration of the ABC School Club in Hope Royal College”. She told the pupils that the event was design specifically to shape the attitudes of school going pupils in their society. She noted that the commencement of the ABC Club in Schools is not only a laudable venture but very timely and appropriate as it seeks to orientate the minds of the pupils about positive attitude and behaviours at all times. She encouraged them that the ABC School is not instituted to be a parallel organ to challenge the school administration rather it is meant to compliment the effort of the school in helping build the attitudes and behaviours of our pupils ”the provincial secretary is willing to embrace this project in the Southern province, my sincere thanks to the ABC Secretariat for organising and implementing this project”. She told the pupils that the power  of a positive attitude allows you to adapt ,change, evolve which leads to success, while negative attitudes leads to failure she concluded.

Mr. David A. Ngombu, a representative from the National  Commission for Democracy, lured the effort of every one to embrace change and told the Secretariat that he is very happy for the venture they have taken and for  the Secretariat to achieve its goals, the staff should be courageous and zealous in performing their duties to the public. He also told the National coordinator that the Secretariat has a very good team at Bo as he has witnessed their work during the Njala Saga and also appeal for mobility for the staff as during the Njala Saga; there was a struggle for transportation for the staff at Bo. He noted that he is very  happy for the work the ABC Secretariat is doing and told the gathering that the ABC should have added D to the acronym  ABC  and that the D  would have  stand for Development as he use to call the Secretariat, Attitudinal  & Behavioural  Change for Development he concluded.

The Regional Coordinator Mrs Hawa Alice Fatorma gave a brief report about the operation of the Secretariat in her region. According to her report ,they have been organising meetings in all the Pilot schools in Bo ; Hope Royal College, Milton Comprehensive school, Bo Commercial Secondary school and st. Andrews secondary school. She noted that there are 30 members in each of the ABC Clubs, for each meeting, they talk to the pupils about the essence of positive attitudes condemning negative ones. She also told the gathering that they have partner with other stake holders within the communities she concluded.

The program ended with a vote of thanks which was done by the President of ABC Club at Hope Royal College Miss Emile Sandy.

ABC Secretariat

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