Report reaching this paper says about 17 volunteer instructors at the William Richard Tolbert High School in Gbalatuah, Bong County have laid down chalks in demand of stipends.
The volunteer teachers are said to be claiming that the Ministry of Education owes them the stipend in question.
Our correspondent says the strike is likely to shutdown the school if government does not address the situation.
The school has about 21 instructors, and 17 of them are on voluntary list.
The Spokesperson of the volunteer instructors Moses Golortor has told this paper that they will not return to classes if their concerns are not addressed.
“If the Ministry of Education can not address our concerns by timely paying and increasing our stipends, we will not enter classes,” Mr. Golortor says.
According to Mr. Golortor, the administration allegedly promised to give them stipend monthly and also provide lodging for them.
However, the volunteer teachers claim that since they went in Gbalatuah, Zota District, the administration is yet to live up to its promise.
He explains that the volunteer teachers are finding it very challenging to continue teaching at the school under such condition.
Mr. Golortor discloses that they receive a little over LRD$1,000 every month, but the money has not come for more than five months.
According to Mr. Golortor, some of the volunteer teachers have bachelor and associate degrees, while others have “C” certificates.
He wonders how government wants them to carter to their families by working for a thousand Liberian Dollars [which is less than US$10.00] that is not paid on time.
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Besides the stipend issue, Mr. Golortor complains that six instructors are lodged in a room.
Our correspondent who visited the campus on says since the instructors’ go-slow began last week, the campus has turned into a merry – making ground with many of the students playing around.
The Parents Teachers Association (PTA) has not responded to the situation despite efforts by our correspondent in getting to their comment.
The Principal of the school Mr. GodlineWeh says the school did not sign an agreement with volunteer instructors.
According to him, they are exerting efforts to ensure that the Ministry of Education can address the situation.
“We actually did not sign agreement, but we as humans will not allow people who have learned to be teaching without getting something,” he says.
By Joseph Titus Yekeryan in Bong –Edited by Winston W. Parley
