Addressing hundreds of pupils, parents and alumni of the school on Wednesday, guest speaker, Sheriff Bojang, managing director of The Standard newspaper said: “When they (the pupils) came here, as toddlers, impressionable little boys and girls, they were what the ancient Roman philosophers called ‘tabula rasu’ – clean slate – and through great patience, diligence and very hard work, you taught them the meaning and the worth of those strange hieroglyphics – A,B,C,D,E, 1,2,3,4,5 et cetera. You taught them the values of discipline and hard work and the mores of respect, love and kindness for their parents, elders and friends.
“The fact that so many of them turned out to be productive members of the society, like surgeons, civil engineers, accountants, journalists et cetera, is a testament to your good work. No amount of money or words of gratitude can repay you enough,” he said.
Mr Bojang called on the parents and guardians to give their wards, be they boys or girls, equal consideration with regard to education.
He said: “No one should listen to the aberrant philosophies of groups like Boro Haram or even some so-called Muslim in The Gambia that Western education, and in particular for girls, is forbidden. Wisemen say a country is like a bird. One of its wing are the men; the other wing the women. In order for the bird to fly properly, all of its wings must be fully developed. Therefore if women including young girls are denied the opportunity of the full developments of their potentials, then like a bird with one wing or one with a broken wing, a country like The Gambia will never be able to fly, to fully develop.”
He lauded President Jammeh’s emphasis on education and female education and urged the girls of The Gambia “to dance as God is clapping for them”.
However, he urged the members of Bakau community to emulate Ousman ‘Rambo’ Jatta in assisting vital institutions in the community like the school. He pledged that his company will from September 2014, give a D10,000 annual scholarship to the school for young boys and girls who may have lost a parent or who are from economically-challenged families.
In his statement, headmaster Lamin Darboe said: “The school started in 1964 and through the help of partners from outside and Ousman Rambo Jatta, we made this place a conducive learning environment for children. Presently, we have 178 pupils in the school and 40 students will be graduating today. The school has also educated a lot of pupils who have turned out to be role models and community builders. I have been in this school for over 26 years and I am proud and happy today that my students are graduating after several years of hard work. On behalf of Kaddy Kombo Bojang, the founder and head of the school and all the teachers, we wish the pupils all the best in their academic endeavours wherever they choose to go and hope that they keep up the good work they have been doing here. We would also like to ask the parents to continue supporting and encouraging their children to excel at all times.
Muhammed Lamin Janneh, an ex-pupil, now a senior teacher at Danso Primary School gave a brief history of the institution. He said: “I could vividly recall when I was admitted into this institution in the early 1960s. Now, thanks to Allah as we can all see the common adage of today is ‘seeing is believing.’ The first ever graduation of this renowned school is taking place on its own complex, with modern facilities, well-equipped class-room and other important facilities that any school can boast of. I think we all owe a debt of gratitude to Kaddy Kombo Bojang (school head) and her hard-working, dedicated and enterprising members of staff for these wonderful and remarkable achievements. To the graduating pupils, I say, please continue with your hard work, love your parents and respect them and always listen to your teachers for advice.”
The hours long ceremony was interspersed with presentations and performances by the pupils. The 40 graduating pupils were awarded certificates and presents were given to the best female and male pupils and the neatest pupil.
In attendance were Kalifa Jammeh, National Assembly member for Bakau, Area councilor of Bakau Abdou Jallow, Ousman Rambo Jatta, other distinguished personalities from the community, parents, guardians, teachers from sister institutions and ex-pupils. The event was coordinated by deputy head Ara Bojang and emceed by Mr Mohammed Musa.
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