Group of teachers under the banner, National Private Schools Teachers Union of Liberia (NPSTUL) threatens to peacefully protest if the Weah-led government fails to listen to it plight.
“We are calling on the Weah led government to pay [us] the private schools teachers, failure on their part, we will stage a peaceful protest to call their attention”, the group says.
Addressing a news conference late Tuesday, September 8, 2020 the Chairman of the National Private Schools Teachers Union of Liberia, Mougnuemuetorh Sackor said their decision to call on national government for salary is due to hardship imposed on private schools by the novel Corona virus disease.
Mr. Sackor explains that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 when government ordered closure of schools across the country, proprietors of private schools have failed to meet their financial obligations to teachers, particularly monthly salaries, causing them to face serious hardship.
He notes that it is against this backdrop they thought to call on national government to intervene by paying their salary, and including them in the 2020/2021 national budget.
“Our living conditions are getting worse on a daily basis, frustration is carrying some of our colleagues. We don’t want to put people in the streets, because we do believe that Covid-19 is still around and we can’t tell who’s infected or not, but if our call will not be adhered to, our only option is to move in the streets and protest, like 2014 we did protest and former President Sirleaf came and pay us, he says.
Mr. Sackor points out that private school owners are continuously faced with decline in generating finance to meet their financial obligations, saying that school services are not for profit making, but rather to deliver social academic services to the people of Liberia.
“We the teachers and support staffs of private schools sector are left with no alternative but to request the government to pay private schools teachers for the affected months of COVID-19, and also place us in the national budget.”
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He reveals that the plan to protest follows many calls to national government without any response, saying we believe our government prioritizes education and we have the strongest conviction that they will hear our plight in the soonest possible time.”
Since President Weah announced the closure of schools, churches, businesses, among others in March immediately after Libreria’s index case of the COVID-9, private school teachers have been without job and income unlike their counterparts in public schools, who continue to receive pay monthly.
By Lewis S. Teh
