By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
In an engagement with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU) has demanded that 680 retired school teachers should be replaced.
This demand by SLTU was put forward to MBSSE during a meeting in Freetown.
Speaking to Politico, the SLTU Regional Secretary for Western Region, Foday Kuyateh said the meeting was geared towards the development of education prior to the reopening of schools.
He said there were several issues discussed, one of which was the 680 teachers that were retired on 31st July this year, and that they should be replaced this September. ‘’The schools will be empty if they don’t replace those teachers that have been tired,’’ he added.
Kuyateh however said the ministry through the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) made a commitment that the retired teachers would be replaced. ’’We are looking forward to the replacement of those teachers,’’ he said.
The Regional Secretary said the issue of school fee subsidies for last academic year's third term is yet to be paid but ’’the minister made a commitment that the subsidies will be paid come the second week in September when schools will reopen”.
He said the SLTU demands that the new school curriculum as well as the new Education Act, 2023 be popularized to all teachers, adding that the new school curriculum will replace the usual three streams(Commercial, Arts, and Science) with five new streams and other policies. ’’Now we have five school curriculums: the first is Science and Technology stream; Mathematics and Numeracy; Economics, Business, and Entrepreneurship; Language and Culture and Language and Culture,’’ Kuyateh disclosed.
The regional secretary said a good number of schools and teachers have been approved. ‘’When a government-assisted school is approved, the government needs to provide financial support,’’ he noted.
He said SLTU will be meeting again with Minister Sackey during which the conditions of service of teachers will form part of the discussions.
He said the government had earlier given a 45% salary increase to teachers that will be implemented over a three-year period, confirming that 15% has already been paid.
‘’Come January 2024, another 15% must be paid,’’ he said. He however said the SLTU wants to go back to the drawing board on its engagement with the government on the need to give a 30% salary increase because of the economic difficulties in the country.’’
This latest engagement attracted officials from the MBSSE, SLTU, Conference of Principals Secondary Schools (CPSS), National Council of Head Teachers, Council of Heads and Technical Vocational Institutions, Nursery Schools Association, and TSC.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (08/09/23)
