By Prince J Musa in Kenema.
A civil society organization in Kenema has warned the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education against trivializing the strike action of lecturers of the Eastern Polytechnic.
In an engagement with the aggrieved lecturers, CSO leaders in the district warned that government's complacency could have a major impact on education in the region.
Regional Coordinator of Peoples Power Movement, Patrick Adu, said: “From our findings, government has not done anything to address the concerns of the lecturers.”
Adu added that the strike action was directly linked to the stability of the region.
“We don’t want this strike to generate actions that can lead to instability,” he warned.
Other civil society leaders also said there is a general concern that the strike action could affect the government's flagship programme of education.
Fallah Bockarie, who is head of the Foundation for Human Rights and Development Organization, said: “This campaign is very topical to civil society since it’s focused on education. Government has allocated 21 percent of its national budget to education and much doesn’t seem to be done on education," Bockarie said, adding: “You can’t talk about quality education if those that deliver the quality education are treated with levity.”
The strike action, which started since the 20th of July this year, occurred after lecturers demanded that their conditions of service be reviewed to reflect the current economic situation.
A review on the document dealing with terms of service for Polytechnic institutions across the country has been due for two years now.
CSOs say the Resident Minister East and the Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education should lead the way in settling the current dispute.
The situation has especially affected final year students who are supposed to be preparing for their external exams.
Deputy Secretary General of the Senior Staff Association at the Eastern Polytechnic, Anthony Kamara, said during the meeting:
“Our action on the strike is not an affront to the government but a clarion call on government to seek our welfare.”
Kamara disclosed that government owed them a backlog of 20 months salary, stressing that their call for a review of terms is legitimate.
“We want the ministry of technical and higher education and the polytechnic council to review our conditions of service as prescribed by the council act,” he said, adding: “Government owe us for twenty months back log and we want our back log salary and review of conditions of service”.
Speaking on the impact of the strike action on final year students, Kamara said: “we are aware that the fate of our final year students are at risk, but we can’t compromise our welfare since most of us pay their fees.”
Politico understands that a review on the document has already been done since last year by all three Polytechnic institutions; Milton Margai College, Freetown Teachers College and Eastern Polytechnic. The document has also been sent to the Tertiary Education Commission and as far up as the Minister in charge.
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