By Frederick Bilal Mansaray
Koinadugu and Falaba Districts – 10th November 2026 – Heads of schools in Koinadugu and Falaba Districts have expressed concern over the absence of teachers from their respective schools during the ongoing Statistics Sierra Leone training programme for census enumerators and supervisors.
As the 12-day training programme continues, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) have intensified joint monitoring efforts to address the situation and ensure that teaching and learning activities are not disrupted.
Speaking on the matter, Paul Issa Kamara, Deputy Director of the Teaching Service Commission, said the Commission was taking action against teachers assigned to specific schools who had reportedly abandoned their teaching responsibilities to participate in the census training.
He stated: “We are going after teachers who have been assigned to specific schools but have abandoned their responsibilities to take part in the ongoing census training. Our monitoring teams have been deployed to various schools to identify and record the names of teachers who are absent from their duty stations.”
Kamara further warned: “Teachers who have left their respective schools must return to their classrooms. Those who fail to comply with this directive will face serious disciplinary action in accordance with the established rules and regulations governing the teaching profession.”
He also appealed to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), education partners and District Education Officers to support the Commission’s efforts to ensure that teachers return to their classrooms and that pupils’ education is not compromised.
Acknowledging the contribution of community teachers, Kamara encouraged them to continue supporting schools, particularly in remote communities where their services remain essential.
He acknowledged that community teachers often play a significant role in sustaining education in underserved areas, where they sometimes outnumber government-appointed teachers.
Similarly, Rev. David Y. Marah, Education Secretary for MCA Schools in Falaba District, expressed concern over the situation, warning that the continued absence of teachers could negatively affect the effective management and delivery of education.
He said: “We are concerned about the continued absence of teachers from their schools during this training period. Their absence could seriously affect the smooth running of our schools, particularly in remote communities where access to educational support is already limited.”
Marah further stressed the importance of ensuring that pupils do not become victims of circumstances arising from the competing demands of the census training and their teachers’ professional responsibilities.
He called on teachers, school authorities, communities and relevant stakeholders to work together to safeguard pupils’ right to education.
The education authorities are therefore urging all concerned stakeholders to cooperate in addressing the situation, ensuring that census-related activities proceed without undermining the delivery of education across Koinadugu and Falaba Districts.
The central message from education stakeholders is that while census activities remain important to national development, the responsibility to protect pupils’ learning and maintain regular classroom instruction must also be upheld.
