By: Ben TC Brooks
Mariah Walker, the Principal of Webbo High School, has made an urgent appeal for renovations and repairs to the school facilities that suffered extensive damage from severe storms.
It can be recalled that storms on March 23, 2023, hit very hard that educational facility resulting in significant damaged of the school’s cafeteria, classrooms for 10th and 11th graders, and parts of the teachers’ quarters.
In a drive to help address the situation, Mrs. Walker is actively seeking financial assistance and logistical support from the government, educational organizations, parents, local businesses, and community members.
According to her, she has repeatedly contacted both former and current Education Officers in River Gee County highlighting the critical state of the school, which has led to shortages of classroom space; but no actions have been taken thus far.
“The severe storms have made the building unsuitable for educational activities,” she re-emphasized.
Madam Walker therefore stressed that the deteriorating condition of the school poses a major obstacle to effective learning and is calling for prompt government action to restore the facility and create a safe environment for students.
“Since the incident, the 10th and 11th graders have been utilizing the school’s library for their classes, and the cafeteria has been out of commission for nearly two years,” Principal Walker noted.
Webbo High is among three government-operated public high schools in River Gee County, located in Konowroken, which serves as the headquarters for electoral district 3, represented by Johnson SN Williams.
Located roughly 68 kilometers from Fish-Town, the county capital, it is the only government high school in the Webbo Administrative District, catering to students from surrounding towns and villages, including Maryland.
However, the Webbo High school principal has expressed appreciation for support of the district Representative Johnson Williams, who provided 21 bundles of zinc and 3 cartoons of nails for recovery efforts, but underscored that additional funding is still required for materials like cement, paint, and nails, as well as to hire skilled workers for renovation tasks.
When contacted, Mrs. Meatta Fofana, the Webbo District Education Officer, acknowledged the poor conditions at the only high school in her area.
She confirmed that she has gathered information on the damage structure and submitted it to the county education officer, Jallah Sammy, and is awaiting further updates.
Recently, the County Education Officer acknowledged the various challenges faced by public schools in the region but assured the community that these issues will be addressed incrementally by the Ministry of Education, emphasizing the need for collective support from all citizens.
