SOS Upper Basic Graduates 141 Students

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)

Madiba Singhateh

13 June 2011

0n Wednesday, 8th June 2011, the SOS Hermann Gmeiner Upper Basic School held a graduation ceremony for 141 Grade 9 at the school grounds in Bakoteh.

In his report, Mr. John D. Senesie, Head of the Lower and Upper Basic Schools, said the majority of the graduants are those who have started there in grade one. He said they have crossed many barriers along the way and that they still need every body’s support and encouragement.

The Principal said this year marks the eleventh year since the school started operations and that currently the student enrollment is at 867 and that 446 of these are girls thus making them more than the boys. He added that there are 436 students in the morning shift and 438 students in the afternoon shift with 61 staff members, 44 of whom are males, 17 females and 3 male part-time teachers.

He said the over all performance of their 2010 Grade nine students in the Gambia Basic Education Certificate Exams (GABECE) was very good and that one hundred and nineteen students were presented for the examination. Out of one hundred and twelve students, he said, only seven failed to meet the government’s cut-off mark of 42 and this implied that out of the total 89.50 % passed and 10.50% failed.

The Principal noted that the subject areas that still need improvement are mathematic and technical drawing.

He concluded by urging the graduants to see the occasion as a happy day and also the beginning for them to become ambassadors of their alma mater and to lift its name to the height of fame.

In her address to the students, Madam Oumie Taal, the acting National Director of SOS Children’s Village- The Gambia Trust, told the graduants to be grateful to their parents for taking them to school to ensure that they have reached where they are today as well as all their teachers who have also guided them in the process.

“The theme of your graduation is Child Rights and Discipline in school. It should have been Child Rights and Discipline Homes and Schools because it starts at home its come to school and its goes back home”, said Madam Taal.

She told the students that it is only education that can give them the power and knowledge to understand their rights and all the other rights they are talking about. She asked them to revisit the UN Child Rights Convention and understand the articles in it.

Madam Taal further advised the students on the virtues of discipline.

The Guest Speaker of the Graduation ceremony, Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle also advised the graduants to disciplined and hardworking.

Prizes were given to the best performing students in each of the different subject areas. The most outstanding student was Fatoumatta Jallow, who grabbed most of the prizes, while Rosalina Camara came second. Mustapha Danso and Isatou Barry also managed to take home some of the prizes.

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