To: The Chair and Board of Governors of Annie Walsh Memorial School; the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education; Freetown City Council; the Environmental Protection Agency; and Sierra Leone Commercial Bank.

Pause the SLCB Bank Opening at Annie Walsh Memorial School Until Student Safety, Heritage and Due Process Are Protected

Annie Walsh Memorial School is more than a school. It is a historic institution, a place of learning, a source of pride for generations of Sierra Leonean women, and a community whose first duty is to protect its girls.

A Sierra Leone Commercial Bank facility is being constructed on a portion of the AWMS campus along the Kissy Road perimeter. The project has reportedly progressed from an initially described kiosk-type facility to a brick-and-block structure, and we are concerned that a proposal for a two-storey building has reportedly been submitted.

We recognise that AWMS needs sustainable funding and that the Board of Governors has a responsibility to support the school’s development. We do not oppose responsible fundraising or development that genuinely benefits the school, or complements its objectives.

However,  no commercial development should be permitted to open on the grounds of an all-girls school unless and until the safety, welfare, educational environment, historic character and long-term interests of its pupils have been independently assessed and fully protected.

This is why we are calling for an immediate pause to the opening of the SLCB facility and any further expansion until the necessary questions have been answered openly and independently.

The Basic and Senior Secondary Education Act 2023 requires schools to be child-friendly, safe, protective and inclusive environments. It also places responsibilities on Boards of Governors to support school development while seeking the welfare of pupils and staff. A commercial bank beside or within a school perimeter must therefore be assessed against more than its rental income. It must be shown to be compatible with the security, wellbeing and education of current and future AWMS pupils.