Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Heads of schools in Yoni, Kholifa Mabang, and Malal chiefdoms in the Tonkolili District have announced plans to go on strike on September 8, 2025, the scheduled reopening date for schools. The strike is in response to the government’s failure to pay subsidies for the last academic year.
The decision was made at a meeting held on Monday, August 25, 2025, at the SLMB Secondary School compound in Mile 91 town. The meeting, attended by representatives from the National Council of Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (CPSS), National Council of Headteachers, Sierra Leone Teachers Union, and other stakeholders, resolved that schools would not reopen until the government addresses their concerns.
The striking teachers and school heads are demanding payment of unpaid subsidies for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd terms of the last academic year, reinstatement of legitimate teachers suspended from the payroll, and an increment of primary school subsidies from Le 10 to Le 30.“We won’t return to our schools until the government addresses these concerns,” said Henry Sahid Kamara, Secretary General of the CPSS. “The situation is appalling, and we can’t continue to operate without the necessary support.”
David Sallieu Koroma, Chairman of the Sierra Leone Teachers Union for Yoni Mile 91 Branch, expressed strong support for the teachers, promising to relay the message to the National Executive of the Union.
The strike comes as a challenge to the government’s promise of free quality education, a key mantra of President Julius Maada Bio’s administration. Teachers have not received subsidies for the entire last academic year, and the situation has become untenable.
The strike is set to disrupt the academic calendar, and it remains to be seen how the government will respond to these demands. For now, the teachers and school heads remain resolute in their demands for action.
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