By Ibraheem Daramy
Listening to the president of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), I rose from my seat and saluted him for venturing into waters not even the bravest fortune hunters would have dived into. Even when the very divers must have pinpointed the exact coordinates where a treasure carrying vessel had sunk. The mere mentioning of Gaza, a black spot on the world map, was such a profound feature of his written speech. Thank you Mr president, for identifying with the Palestinian people. And the icing on the cake was when he said the world is quick at mobilising resources for conflicts. I wasn’t surprise the deafening applauds on the mention of those lines from his audience. Though the soil he stood on was technically a global stage, but that would be Donald Trump’s turf all day long.
Now the elephant in the room. The president ran a campaign dominated by his love affair with education. However, in delivering on this key component, the script that informed its implementation, his party’s manifesto, became passive. Probably once some of those promises were costed, our exchequer got spooked and talked the president out of it. Spinners on behalf of the administration tried to earn their pay checks – but let’s just say their efforts were nothing less of anticlimactic. With the statistics in the hands of the president, we would have to understand why he was so bullish about his administration’s achievements in front of his peers. Mr president, please let us have an in-depth discussion on this topic. Your excellency Sir, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), Haja Ramatulai Wurie, has stopped the government Grant-In-Aid running into the third year now. A scheme, without which, thousands of her compatriots would never have made it to any tertiary institution. Ma’am, please reconsider your stance. If it was sanctioned by cabinet, as you might probably argue, i want to respectfully crave your indulgence to tell your colleagues about the ramifications if the ban is not discontinued.
The president came good to his promise to divide the Ministry of of Education. Alhaji Alpha Osman Timbo Esq, a seasoned trade unionist, was put in charge of overseeing the newly crafted Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE). If what started as a turnaround in this vital sector is anything to go by, we could have positioned ourselves as a reference point in the subregion. During the early days of this political administration, payment of school fees subsidies, provision of key text/exercise books, and school buses specifically for the implementation of the intentionally named Free Quality School Education (FQSE) was quite impressive. This period saw competitiveness among school leaders – both in terms of roll, performance in public examinations, as well as infrastructure improvement. A little over three (3) years down the road, it no longer reflect the roll that was set as a benchmark.
Before the reopening of schools for the 2026/27 session, there was a replay of the sabre-rattling between government and the main teacher lobby, the Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU). I have no intention whatsoever to trivialise this all important component of our country’s development. But what would you rather I do when our teachers will always have to return to work empty-handed after some protracted negotiations. With the outcome of the recently concluded impasse, you wouldn’t blame me for being ambivalent.
The Minister of Finance, Karefa Kargbo, having just subscribed to the oath of office, must have been expecting a roll of the red carpet at George Street during his welcoming. But with what lay in wait at his desk, he was forced to admit his administration will have to address arrears owed to the schools in bits. Ironically, though not for the first time, fees subsidies for the final term of the preceding academic year never received attention. For your information, the following is what government pays per child per term.
- Primary Le10
- JSS Le50
- SSS Le60
Trust me, I’ve just quoted the correct amounts. I can’t figure what these paltry amounts will do to run a school for an entire term. And the worst part is, government is still defaulting in paying these monies.
Just about the time teachers were coming to terms with the possibility of returning to work with none of their demands met, the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), Conrad Sackey, was all over the place deceiving the public that they’ve been meeting their obligation of supplying Teaching and Learning Materials (TLM). To make his lie look good, he presented a stale video of some sort. He’s such a bad lier.
Government’s handling of this sector has taken a huge toll on almost every school leader around. Some are so deep into arrears they are forced to review their daily movements in a bid to dodge their suppliers.
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