Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Conrad Sackey has confirmed that school subsidies have been paid, following a commitment by the Ministry of Finance to release the funds.
Speaking on AYV’s Wake Up Sierra Leone, Minister Sackey said the Ministry of Finance had assured the education sector that the subsidies would be released.
“The Ministry of Finance made a commitment that the school subsidies would be paid, and I can confirm that they were paid yesterday,” he stated.
The confirmation comes amid longstanding concerns over the timely availability of resources that government and government-assisted schools need to support teaching and learning, particularly as a new academic year gets underway.
Under the Free Quality School Education programme, these per-pupil subsidies help schools cover essential operational costs that would otherwise fall more heavily on parents and communities.
School heads, teachers and the Sierra Leone Teachers Union have repeatedly highlighted delays in subsidy payments in recent years, noting that the funds are critical for day-to-day running of schools. There have also been calls to review the current rates, historically set at relatively low levels per child per term for primary, junior secondary and senior secondary levels, to better reflect rising costs. Past disbursements have sometimes faced additional hurdles when funds reach community or commercial banks before reaching school accounts.
Minister Sackey’s remarks are expected to ease immediate worries among school authorities and other stakeholders who had been awaiting the release. Full and timely payment of the subsidies should help schools meet basic operational needs and support smoother delivery of education across the country as classes resume.
