By Hajaratu Kalokoh
The Sierra Leone Government’s desire to boost technical and skills education is in jeopardy over lack of funding.
Just about a year after the inauguration of the first of a series of technical and vocational institutions erected across the country, reports have emerged that lecturers hired to provide the training have been going without pay.
As part of the scheme, the government has already built about eight schools, called Government Technical Institute (GTI). A number of teachers were hired and deployed in these schools by the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education.
But some of the lecturers who reached out to Politico say for the last five months since they were engaged, they have not received salaries, leaving them in a precarious situation trying to serve their purpose and meet the needs of themselves and their families.
One of the aggrieved lecturers, who spoke to us on condition of anonymity, said he and his colleagues were hired in September last year.
“Some of us have been posted to places we have no means of sourcing money for our up-keep and not to talk about dwelling places,” they said, adding: “There is no prospect of having our salaries. Since October 11 to date we have not received a cent from the ministry.”
The source said lecturers in all the districts where GTIs have been erected (Kambia, Bo, Kenema, Kono, Kailahun, Tonkolili, Pujehum and Kabala) were affected.
During the opening ceremony of one of the technical schools in Kambia last year, President Julius Maada Bio said the establishment of the technical institutions across the country was part of his government’s drive towards attaining a developed human capital.
“Our national policy on TVETS aligns with several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; providing quality education, decent work, economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure. It is also a key enabler for a number of other goals,” he noted.
The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education admitted delay in payment of salaries of a total of 10 people it hired to the positions across the country.
Permanent Secretary at the ministry, Gilbert Cooper, explained that the salary delay was due to financial constraints the ministry was faced with.
Cooper however said they were working on a payment plan.
“Basically, the reason they were not paid is because of budgetary constraints. As far as I know, we have processed all their papers with the Ministry of Finance, and it has been approved,” he told Politico.
Despite the assurances, Cooper was not certain about how soon the Ministry of Finance could start paying the lecturers.
When asked, he said he believed the Finance Ministry was committed to paying the lecturers “as soon as possible.”
Last weekend President Bio urged up to 3000 graduates from the University of Sierra Leone to embark on innovation and entrepreneurship.
If this is going to materialize, TVET education will be an integral part of the Bio’s call desire. But the apparent lack of funding to take care of the staff is sure to prevent this from happening.
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