By Haddy Touray
Students of Yunus English School on Monday staged a protest within the school premises following a reported disagreement between teachers and the school management.
The exact cause of the dispute remains unclear, but reports indicate that tensions escalated after students became involved, leading to demonstrations on campus.
Videos and information circulating online showed groups of students gathered within the school compound during the unrest. As of press time, the school management had not issued an official statement explaining the cause of the disagreement or the circumstances surrounding the protest.
The latest incident adds to a series of controversies that have recently placed the school under public scrutiny.
In April, students at Yunus English School were seen livestreaming on social media during class hours, triggering criticism from members of the public and education stakeholders.
Responding to the incident at the time, administrative staff member Saikou Waggeh acknowledged concerns surrounding the matter.
“We acknowledge that the incident was unfortunate, and although it is the type of situation that should have been prevented, it unfortunately occurred,” he told an online publication.
However, the school later disputed public characterisations of the incident, stating that the situation had been misrepresented. According to the administration, Grade 12 students had been participating in Physical Health Education practical sessions at the field when the incident occurred, and the students seen in the viral video were reportedly not part of that activity.
The school also faced controversy in December last year when a Grade 11 female student allegedly stabbed a teacher in the hand with a knife. The incident led to a criminal case and attracted national attention. Reports indicated that despite calls from some quarters for reconciliation, the teacher declined to withdraw the matter, and the student later appeared before a court in Brikama.
Efforts by our reporter to obtain a response from the school management were unsuccessful. A man who initially answered the call reportedly referred the reporter to another Africell number, but subsequent attempts to reach the line were unsuccessful as the number was switched off. The contact numbers provided were +220 778 1443, 987 4409, 707 0091, and WhatsApp 378 4294.