The Principal and the Executive Officer of the Booker Washington Institute (BWI), Harris Fomba Tarnue has disclosed that the students of the BWI continue to satisfactorily perform on the West African Senior School Examinations (WASSEC).
He said that since 2018 to date, they continue to score high marks saying that comparing 2021-2022 results to 2019-2020 clearly indicate that there have been a constant and progressive improvement in the performance of the students’ during the WASSCE.
The principal was presenting the academic reports for 2021-2022 school year recently at the 71st joint Commencement Convocation in Kakata, Margibi County adding that the total students who registered for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSEC) were 273 students of which 184 are males or 67% while 89 are females or 33%.
He further stated that 141 males and 28 females passed in all the subjects and that 56 students passed with distinction with 53 males and 3 males pointing out that they also did the same relative to the Technical Vocational Educational Training (TVET).
According to him, 266 students completed all the requirements for the regular TVET Program, 174 students for the Post-Secondary Professional Program including 80 students for the Japan Heavy Equipment Operation School (JHEOS) and 23 for the Catering Management of the Domestic Science Department and so they were qualified for graduation.
Since the 70th Commencement Convocation on February 26, 2022, they have made significant gains relative to providing more conducive training environment with support from government development partners including stakeholders in education and stakeholders in education.
He informed the audience that the school also made what he calls a breaking news headline when it launched the Associate of Arts (AA) and the Associate of Science (ASc) Degrees during the year under review and that it is presently ongoing well.
Speaking further, Mr. Tarnue explained that they continue to make progress when it comes to building the capacities of the instructors and administrative staffs at the institute with partners’ support.
“Some of our staffs are doing masters programs in China through the courtesy of former Chinese Ambassador Reh Yisheng while 8 are concluding their masters’ studies in Hammett University, Finland under the EU Youth Rising Program,” he added.
He continued that twelve TVET Instructors have returned and that BWI will benefit from that batch and as such, he indicated that 2023 will be the dedication and commissioning as well as equipment of TVET Workshops whose renovation are nearing completion like Automotive, Carpentry, including Electrical and Agriculture.
He then lauded the President, development partners including the alumni Associations for the support that is helping his administration to keeping the dreams and aspirations of its founders, and pledged his administration’s continual commitment to achieving that.
He further disclosed that the government has assured the administration of granting university status to BWI by the end of 2023 as it is being factored in the Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).
The valedictorian of the ‘Infinity Beneficial Class’ a Latin Word meaning endless blessings; Bangalee Kromah of the regular Agriculture Department pointed out that no man is perfect and perfection is unattainable adding that if one strives for perfection results to excellence.
He then challenged the graduates not to consider their achievement as a stopping point but rather their standing point because the world is fast evolving.
“If we intend to change the world for generations unborn to make it a better place, then we should seek for additional knowledge,” he encouraged his colleagues.
He maintained that the world is fast changing so they need to adjust to the evolution indicating that they should also be mindful of their common front and agenda when realized; would help humanity and as such, the baseline of their fundamental education needs to be cemented.
The valedictorian of Infinity Beneficial Class however expressed thanks and appreciations to their teachers who have adequately tutored them and their parents for sustained support and also Principal Tarnue for his tuition assistance through his scholarships scheme for deserving students.
The Representative of the United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO) in Liberia asserted that BWI has a distinct purpose, focus and vision that are attracting development partners as they continue to play a meaningful role relative to its operations.
He told the gathering that the direction of the school as the producer of qualified middle level technicians can only be known through professional interactions with the administration and that triggers support from bilateral and multilateral organization.
UNIDO’s Representative pledged his organization’s continuous support to the BWI as implementing partner of its projects and urged the 2021-2022 graduates to exhibit the habit of continuous professional development disclosing that UNIDO and other development partners have invented new technology and equipment; so he encouraged them to take advantage of the opportunity.
The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Tiger’s Kingdom, Jackson J. Paye commended President George Weah for his administration’s unwavering support to the BWI.
He stressed that the President’s quest to providing Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) to the youths of the country is laudable saying that is evident by the level of transformation that is taking place in the sector through government’s bilateral and multilateral partnerships.
Mr. Paye also praised the EO of the institute for what he calls his exemplary leadership role that is accelerating the transformation process at the TVET Institute and assured him of the Board’s relentless support.
Chairman Paye then buttressed the keynote Speakers’ charge to the outgoing seniors not to fear taking risk noting that they have already acquired the needed skills therefore each of them can establish a business or form a partnership.
“You can open an electronic, wood workshops including a farm, construction company or even a mechanic shop,” he urged them.
The Representative of District 4, Margibi County, Ben A. Fofana paid homage to the forefathers of the county for the donation of the land where BWI is situated in his district, and intoned that if the donors of the land were alive today, they would undoubtedly appreciate the impact of their donation to education in the country.
He applauded the government, local as well as international development partners for their incessant support to the TVET Institution that is at the verge of gaining a university status and also Attorney Harris Fomba Tarnue for demonstrating exceptional leadership role.
For his part, the Minster of Youths & Sports (MYS), D. Zeogar Wilson described the graduates as being special because they have acquired TVET Skills that has indeed qualified them as serviceable youths.
The Chairman of the Inter-administerial Taskforce of TVET stressed that the dream and aspiration of President Weah are for the youths to benefit quality vocational skills explaining and had mandated the Minister of Education (MoE), Prof. D. Ansu Sonii and him to make sure that the state of the art TVET Institutions with relevant equipment like BWI are built in the 15 political subdivision of the country.
“We are presently intervening in seven counties and the funding for the remaining eight counties has been secured from the European Union (EU),” he added.
