Forty-two (42) cluster monitors, trainers and management trainers ended a four-day training workshop under the Whole School Development (WSD) approach on the issue of implementing the new Parent Teacher Association (PTA) constitution and the election of School Management Committees (SMC). The workshop was supported by Basic Education Support for Poverty Reduction (BESPOR) in collaboration with the regional education office of Region 5 (R5).

Speaking at the gathering, which was held at Armitage School in Jangjangbureh in Central River Region (CRR) South, the Regional Education Director, Mr. Babucar Suwareh explained the importance of the workshop. He said it will go a long way in improving the school management system. He added that the former PTA will be dissolved and the election will be conducted soon. The Principal Education Officer of R5, Mr. Muhammad Touray, said that this workshop came as a result of a finding that was carried out to look at the falling standards in our schools. He said teachers, especially head teachers, have little devotion to the actual teaching and learning, instead most of their time is spent mobilising resources in order to develop their school and make themselves richer.

He said it is in this regard that the department, together with their donor partners, came up with the idea of using the WSD approach to managing our schools. He added that a new PTA constitution has been developed that will prepare the children that go to our schools to have meaningful lives. Mr. Touray asserted that there has been a lot of consultation in the development of the new PTA constitution as well as a new school management manual and people are adequately informed about the changes that are made by these documents.

For his part, Mr. Anthony Mendy, one of the facilitators, said that the introduction of these new documents is geared towards promoting a democratic style of management in schools. He added that some people have been PTA members for more than 20 years and are beginning to lose interest in the school’s wellbeing. He stated that this was terrible for the development of the education system, as with any system we must turn over leaders as they lose interest in the beneficiaries.

According to him, the new PTA constitution is now calling for elections where people will get a chance to vote for their choice in office. The term of office is now four years and nobody can serve for more than two terms. He revealed that the criteria for members of the PTA is that they must be a parent or guardian of a child in the school, must reside in the community of this school and must have the needs of the school at heart.