A teacher with more than 20 years of experience and both bachelor’s and master’s degrees is reportedly earning just NLe2,500 a month in Sierra Leone, according to Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU) President Ibrahim Bankapoma Kargbo.
Kargbo said some teachers in the country earn less than US$100 a month, as educators continue to face rising costs of food, transportation and other basic necessities.
The union has also raised concerns about delays in salary payments, saying some teachers receive their wages in the following month, making it difficult to meet household expenses.
Schools have faced similar challenges with funding. In May 2026, the SLTU appealed to Vice-President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh over unpaid school subsidies for the second and third terms of the 2025/26 academic year.
Kargbo has called for the government’s school subsidy to be increased tenfold, from NLe10 to NLe100 per child per term, arguing that the current allocation is inadequate.
The concerns come as the government prepares to implement a 20% salary increase for existing civil servants from September 2026. Authorities have also announced plans to recruit 2,500 teachers and reassess or promote another 2,000.
The SLTU says improving teachers’ pay and ensuring timely salaries remain critical to strengthening Sierra Leone’s education system.
