Freetown, September 8, 2025 — The Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU) has declared a nationwide strike action effective today, citing unresolved issues around salary payments, school fee subsidies, and the reinstatement of teachers whose names were removed from the payroll.
In a statement dated September 5, the Union said it had no option but to lift its suspended strike notice due to the government’s failure to address long-standing concerns. The SLTU referenced previous consultations with education stakeholders and recalled a suspended strike from November 2024, which had been halted to give the government time to respond.
According to the Union, unresolved matters include delayed subsidies for the 2024/2025 academic year, backlog salary payments, and incomplete reinstatement of teachers removed from the payroll. “A good number of these teachers were shocked to to have discovered that both salaries did not reflect in their bank accounts,” the release stated. The Union also challenged a Ministry press release dated September 4, describing it as “misleading and incorrect.”
SLTU Secretary General Morris S. Conteh urged teachers nationwide to remain at home until further notice. “You are therefore encouraged to stay at home until you hear from the Union. United we stand, divided we fall,” Conteh said.
In response, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) issued a statement on September 7 acknowledging receipt of the Union’s strike notice. The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to addressing teachers’ concerns, citing several measures already in progress following an emergency meeting convened by the Vice President.
The Ministry said that as of September 5, the government had transferred second and third-term subsidies from the 2024/2025 school year, amounting to Le 82,514,470, to commercial banks and shared receipts with the SLTU. It also noted commitments to teacher recruitment, reassessment, and deployment, including allocating quotas for technical and vocational teachers and promoting acting principals.
On the issue of payroll suspensions, the Ministry confirmed that 1,802 teachers had already been reinstated and said discussions were ongoing regarding additional cases. It also announced the creation of a joint committee, reporting to the Vice President, to address wider issues such as subsidy funding and budget allocations for teaching materials.
“The Government does not only consider teachers as partners in education, but also as the cornerstone of the Free Quality School Education programme,” the statement signed by Permanent Secretary Brima M. Sow read. The Ministry appealed to pupils, teachers, parents, and education authorities to exercise patience while the government works toward solutions.
The strike comes at the start of the new school year and threatens to disrupt teaching nationwide if no resolution is reached.
