Monrovia – After a dismal performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) two years ago, the Alumni of the Cathedral Catholic School had to do something.
The WASSCE is a standardized test in West Africa, administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for students residing in Anglophone West African countries.
“We knew we had to do something when we learned two years ago that no student passed that WASSCE exams. The need is there and we are working to make sure the students are successful,” says Agatha Joseph, national president.
“We knew we had to do something when we learned two years ago that no student passed that WASSCE exams. The need is there and we are working to make sure the students are successful.”
Agatha Joseph, National President
In a bid to address the issue, the alumni association will be hosting a Virtual Reunion and Intramural Class Contest (fundraiser) on Saturday, August 29, 2020 at 6pm.
Participants are encouraged to make payments through various payment apps like Zelle, Pay Pal, CashApp or Bank Transfer.
Mrs. Joseph says the ultimate goal is to train the teachers and better equip them to prepare students for not just the annual national exams but life after high school. “Once we invest in teacher training, we will need to retain those teachers. So, we are working on a plan to retain them.”
The alumni association decided to go virtual this year due to the deadly Covid-19 pandemic. “We didn’t have time to do all the fundraisers planned to be able to host the convention and also for the safety of the association members, we decided to cancel convention this year and instead use the virtual route.”
Mrs. Joseph says in recent years, the alumni association has been active in giving back to the school. “We recently updated the laboratory and had the lab manager trained by a Peace Corps volunteer on use of the lab in a bid to adequately prepare the students for the WASSCE.”
More recently, the association also raised money to give stipends to teachers who were not getting paid when the coronavirus made life unbearable for many.
“I am appealing to everyone who values education to join us virtually regardless of where in the world they are on August 29th to raise funds for CSAA. We will be focusing on the Teachers training and retention. There is also a friendly class completion so I encourage them to come with open hearts a wallets to support their class which will in turn help the organization to get the teachers training started.”
Agatha Joseph, National President
The CSAA is urging all former students and members of the association to come to the aid of their alma mater and lend assistance to the future leaders of tomorrow.
Says Joseph: “I am appealing to everyone who values education to join us virtually regardless of where in the world they are on August 29th to raise funds for CSAA. We will be focusing on the Teachers training and retention. There is also a friendly class completion; so, I encourage them to come with open hearts a wallets to support their class which will in turn help the organization to get the teachers training started.”
The Cathedral School Alumni Association (CSAA) is a non-profit organization comprised of former students, teachers and workers of Cathedral Catholic School (CCS) in Monrovia, Liberia. Its purpose is to renew and foster better relationships among all former students, teachers, missionaries and other workers and well-wishers of CCS; form a partnership comprised of CSAA, the administration, faculty, students and parents of CCS, as well as any other interested parties, in seeking the academic upliftment of our Alma Mater; establish and promote good relations with the Catholic Church of Liberia and its foreign missionary services; and promote Cathedral Catholic School’s image as an educational leader for the betterment of education throughout the Republic of Liberia.