The Western Regional Secretary of Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU), Foday Kuyateh, has said it is fake that teachers who have taught for over ten years have got their children being provided with government scholarship.
“SLTU wants the president to know that the promise he made to the nation in 2018 that two children of any teacher who has taught for over ten years will be given scholarship in the University of Sierra Leone. We want president Bio to know that the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education has not done so and teachers are eagerly waiting for the implementation of your 2018 proclamation,” Kuyateh said.
He made this clarification on Monday January 22nd 2024 when he was updating the general public about the seventeen points letter submitted to the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and Teaching Service Commission (TSC).
He emphasized that it is a policy statement made by the President, which he noted, must be implemented.
He appealed to president Bio to make sure that his words are backed with actions.
Kuyateh disclosed that the proclamation only took effect for one year and since then nothing had happened. Adding that, only the ministry knows why they did not continue with the scheme.
He called on government to support technical and vocational institutions with subventions to enable school authorities to buy machines and other equipment to run those institutions.
“Government pays the salaries of the teachers but is not providing subventions to TecVoc institutions which represent a big challenge for them,” Kuyateh emphasized.
He also appealed to government to come to the aid of the Home Economics centres in the various primary schools, adding that government is not supporting a good number of them apart of the salaries they are paying the teachers.