By: Emmanuel Mbowa
School heads and teachers across the country have registered their discontent with what they say is “a failed promise” by the Sierra Leone government to grant university scholarships to three of their biological children, particularly teachers who have practiced for 10 years or more.
“This is my 23rd year in this field,” a head teacher in Freetown said. “I was amazed at first but was later disappointed that nothing like what the president had promised came into force. I single-handedly pay for three of my children who are now in the university,” she explained.
President Bio at the Second Presidential National Best Teacher Awards event in Freetown on October 18, 2022, confirmed the university scholarships for teachers’ children as a key component of the incentives under his flagship Free Quality School Education (FQSE) program.
The commitment was explicitly cited as part of the agreement reached with the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU). He stated that the government, in successfully concluding negotiations with the SLTU for a 45% salary increase, also agreed to “award scholarships of up to three biological children of teachers who have remained in the profession for 10 years or more.”
While the general notion of supporting teachers’ children was part of the FQSE plan from its launch in 2018, this specific and codified promise for up to three university scholarships based on 10 years of service was solidified in the October 2022 agreement.
Seven years down the line, teachers say their anticipation has not been met as there are no channels through which they could seek to secure the scholarship for their children. “We teachers supported and welcomed this government because of its promise to us, but that was an unfulfilled commitment,” a teacher who has practiced since 1995 said. “I tried to apply but I was told the threshold was 20 years. Even so, I have practiced more,” she continued. “As a teacher with three children all in university, I am disappointed, especially with the low salary I am receiving.”
In Koinadugu, a teacher who has practiced since 2004 said he also tried to apply but had no clue on how to undertake it. “I have two children pursuing Community Health Officer (CHO) at Ernest Bai Koroma University, and I pay for them myself,” he explained. “We are still looking forward to it. Bear in mind, this was part of the president’s campaign message and now in the Free Quality School program. We hope he comes to our aid. It is challenging for us as teachers.”
Some teachers have urged the government to legislate the Free Quality Education Program, one that will also prioritize incentives for teachers, including scholarship opportunities for themselves and their children. “When it becomes a law, any government that comes will take it seriously and must be held accountable when provisions in the law are not duly followed,” a primary teacher suggested.
Speaking to Truth Media, Minister Conrad Sackey outrightly said the scheme was not actualized because of resource challenges which the government faced. “When the scheme initially began, there were over 10,000 teachers who met the 10-year threshold, and the then minister David Moinina Sengeh in partnership with SLTU reviewed the threshold, starting from 30, then 25, down to 20,” he said.
“However, we have made new Terms of Reference and have agreed to set up a joint committee with the Office of the Vice President and will later discuss how the scheme will be operationalized,” he continued.
“We have made commitments to the school feeding project amongst others, and that has put so much pressure on the government. So we will come to a happy settlement and ensure we do what will be feasible for the government to maintain efficiency.”
While the new threshold from the joint committee is underway, the Sierra Leone Teacher Union has said they equally look forward to what the government will do in that regard. “It’s part of their promise to uplift teachers. For now, we are only looking at what they will bring this time,” Foday Kuyateh, Western Region Secretary said. He added that, “when the decision is taken, we will look into it,” he concluded.
Citing the inconsistencies by the government in fulfilling its promises in the widely-spoken flagship Free Quality School Education (FQSE) program, teachers say bringing the policy to law will make authorities give education the utmost attention it needs; a salient move they say will restore Sierra Leone’s past glory in the education sector.
