Police Vandalism at St. Edward's Secondary School
Those who attended St. Edward's Secondary
School will agree beyond doubt that this
institution of learning was among the finest, most
reputable of schools within the Catholic diocese of
Sierra Leone. Its staff and student population
included people from
all corners of the globe and ranked among
the nation's best three in terms of
academic, sporting and other achievements.
After the retirement of Fr. O'Sullivan, the day to
day administration of the school was wrestled from the
Catholic diocese and placed under government control. This
meant that ethical standards such as
discipline and
reward for
hard work would soon be
replaced with corruption and hardship. Things would
no longer become the same.
For the
better part of the last three decades, as a result
of an atrocious war, fuelled by diamonds, Sierra Leone
lost her patrimony and ranked at the bottom of the UNDP human development index. This meant that an
entire generation of children would be robbed of a
future.
Vandalized Building
St. Edward's Secondary School lost all grace
when those liable for maintaining law and order turned
their arms against the
very citizens whose lives and property they were
responsible to
protect.
In the aftermath of a personal conflict between a
student and an
off-duty police officer from the police
barracks next door, the parameters of the school
grounds were
overrun by heavily armed policemen and their
families. Students and staff members
were given severe beatings in a free for
all fight, and the school
was ransacked and vandalized beyond recognition.
(see picture)
Hopes for the perpetrators to
be brought to justice are as distant as the dreams
of the young men and women who still believe in the
fruits hard work, in a country where despair is
all the air you can breathe.
In a bid to rescue the school
from further decline, the St. Edward’s alumni
organization has launched a
worldwide drive to help the youths
of St. Edward’s Secondary School return to the
classroom.
We are kindly asking former Edwardians and friends
of St Edward's Secondary School to step up to the plate
and help our alma mater function
again. Classes have been interrupted and no date is set for their resumption.
There is a PayPal button at the top of the page
which allows you to donate to this urgent cause.
Please
make a minimum
donation of five dollars, and more if you can.
Detailed description of how these donations are
being
disposed will be sent via email and posted at this
site.
You may also donate items like used furniture,
used sporting
and musical equipment, pens, chalks, used copiers, lab equipment,
telephones/fax machines, and things you don't need.
Kindly email to:
st.edwardssec@hotmail.com
,
or
edwards.st@lycos.com.
Arrangements will be made to pick up
your donation. Your much needed support is highly
appreciated.
DIRIGE NOS IN VERITATE - LEAD US IN TRUTH
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Mailing
Address:
St. Edward's
Secondary School, May Park
P.O.Box
257, Kingtom, Freetown , Sierra Leone
Telephone: 221249
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