By Hassan Osman Kargbo
As schools across Sierra Leone were set to reopen Monday, September 8, 2025, for the 2025/2026 academic year, thousands of parents and guardians who had prepared their children for the new school term were met with uncertainty following an announcement from the Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU).
The union, in a statement released over the weekend, declared that its members would not resume teaching unless the government settles outstanding subsidies and backlog payments owed to teachers. The decision has sparked frustration and anxiety among parents who had already spent their limited resources preparing for the resumption of classes.
In many communities, parents expressed disappointment that the much-anticipated reopening of schools has been overshadowed by the industrial action. “I bought new uniforms, books, and even paid fees in advance because I wanted my child to return to school without any setback,” said Mariama Kamara, a mother of three who lived at Wellington in Freetown. “Now I don’t even know when schools will open. It is heart-breaking for us parents.”
Similar sentiments were shared by parents in Bo, Kenema, and Makeni, where families lamented that the strike would derail the education of their children. With the government’s Free Quality Education initiative serving as a flagship program of President Julius Maada Bio, many parents believe more effort should have been made to resolve the issue before the official reopening date.
“We hear about education being a priority, but the teachers are the backbone of the system,” said Abdulai Conteh, a businessman at PMB. “If their grievances are not addressed, our children will continue to suffer. The government needs to step in quickly.”
In addition, the SLTU has insisted that teachers have been patient for too long and that the non-payment of subsidies and backlogs has placed them under severe financial strain. According to the union, members are unwilling to continue teaching without assurance that their concerns will be met. “Teachers cannot continue to sacrifice while promises remain unfulfilled,” the statement read.
The impasse has left many parents torn between supporting the teachers’ demands and worrying about their children’s future. For rural families, especially where education is often seen as the only path to opportunity, the delay in reopening schools is particularly painful.
“I support the teachers because they also have families to take care of, but I am deeply worried about the lost time,” said Kadiatu Bangura, a single mother in Makeni. “Every day my children are not in school, they fall behind. We are pleading with both sides to reach a solution immediately.”
Observers have noted that the situation highlights ongoing tensions between the government and education workers despite significant investments in the sector in recent years. While President Bio’s administration continues to highlight education as central to national development, the strike has raised questions about the sustainability of reforms if teachers’ welfare is not adequately prioritized.
As of Tuesday, 9 September evening, there was no official announcement from the Ministry of Education on whether a compromise had been reached with SLTU. For now, parents and pupils remain in limbo, unsure of when the academic year will formally commence.
“We just want clarity,” said one frustrated parent. “Our children deserve better than this uncertainty.”
