By Hassan Osman Kargbo
Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU) has declared a nationwide strike effective Monday, 8 September 2025, citing government’s failure to address long-standing grievances over unpaid subsidies, salary anomalies, and inadequate teaching resources.
The announcement follows a suspended strike notice issued on 25 November 2024, which the Union had put on hold after assurances from the government. However, with no resolution to their concerns, the SLTU said it has been left with “no alternative” but to resume industrial action.
In a statement signed by the Union’s national executive, the teachers listed a series of demands, including:
Payment of outstanding second and third term school fees subsidies for 2024/2025, and the first term subsidy for 2025/2026.
Regular and timely payment of subsidies at the start of each school term.
Correction of anomalies, including non-payment and underpayment, in subsidy disbursements.
A review of the subsidy per pupil to reflect current economic and inflationary realities.
Financial support for schools that have been approved but left without funding.
Immediate resumption of supply of teaching and learning materials, which have not been provided for the last three years.
Recruitment of more technical and vocational instructors to support government’s human capital development agenda.
Reinstatement and payment of backlog salaries for genuine teachers suspended from the payroll in July 2025.
Settlement of Performance-Based Financing (PBF) owed to primary schools.
SLTU President Ibrahim Bankapoma Kargbo, along with other executive members, argued that the failure to address these issues has severely undermined effective teaching and learning. They warned that the disruption of the school reopening could derail the government’s flagship Free Quality Education (FQE) programme.
“We have exhausted all channels of communication. Teachers have been patient, but the government has failed to act on promises. This strike is our last resort,” the statement read.
Parents and education stakeholders have expressed concern that the strike could negatively affect the start of the new academic year, particularly for examination classes. The Union, however, insists that resolving these issues is crucial for safeguarding the future of education in Sierra Leone.
The government is yet to issue an official response.
