By Ragan M. Conteh
The Member of Parliament from Kambia District, Hon Abdul Karim Kamara (AKK) has informed members in the House of Parliament that ‘the classroom is no more attractive’, citing it as the reason ‘teachers are taking exit in search of lucrative jobs’.
According to Hon AKK, teachers have faced challenges especially the poor condition of service teachers continue to suffer in Sierra Leone. The MP went further that he has observed that the salaries of a cleaner at the Electoral Commission office is better than the principal of a secondary school, a development he perceived as an embarrassment.
Hon Kamara further informed the whole House of Parliament that, schools are losing trained and qualified professional teachers due to poor conditions of service.
He said the government of President Bio has failed to put more effort in teachers’ condition, ‘the reason the quality aspect of the free education is far from there’. ‘The free education is a sham to Sierra Leone because the teachers that government is supposed to make happier are those that are continuing to be marginalised,’ Hon AKK said.
The MP pointed out that the reason, schools are continue to deteriorate in terms of quality education is because professionals are on a daily basis leaving the classrooms for better jobs where they receive lucrative salaries.
He said teachers should be prioritised if government’s flagship free education project is to be achieved, adding that government should “stop finding jobs for the boys” and abandon teachers who are pivotal in the educational sector.