Louis Moses Mendy Permanent Secretary of the ministry of basic and secondary education on Thursday at ministry of basic and secondary education head office in Banjul explained what led to the sit-down strike of teachers teaching in public schools.

Speaking at the press conference held at MOBSE headquarters Louis Moses Mendy permanent Secretary of the ministry of basic and secondary education said “the books of government was closed in December 2021, there were some challenges at payment point and we follow those challenges of the results we were already in 2022 so even if we are to pay at that time we couldn’t pay because the process of paying has been closed”

He added that things could have only been done in January but the payment point was challenges at that point and it could not be resolve within the given time by the teachers union.

He further added that there is always a step to everything and a level to everything which everyone should be involve, we had an engagement with Gambia teachers union hoping that all of this will be done within the given time.

According to the permanent secretary When the first covid allowance was paid and the other one was not been paid they engage them (Gambia teachers Union) again but the challenge was when they said every teacher must be paid, who is that teacher who must be paid we need to ascertain that and that will take time and in doing so there are time that they gave and that’s what led to the sit-down strike.

“If we had ascertain that every teacher who needs to be paid the matter won’t be where it is but for us we have those who were programme and should be paid however there were others who took it upon themselves and came out with good initiatives, we recognize and appreciate it and commend them, in that way we reconsidered how do we pay them for those efforts it will take time that’s what leads to this” he explained.  

However Ousman Bah, Region one Director said they were tasked to go to their regions and engage their partners and that the strike actually was revoked on Tuesday and Wednesday was supposed to be a school day but information doesn’t filter to parents, so all the parents were keeping their children at home believing that there is no teaching and learning in our schools.

“We have challenges of parents sending their children to school, we invited all the structures and had meeting with all the stakeholders in my regional office and we informed them that well the sit-down strike is finished and we want the kids to go to school immediately, those who were supposed to go to school in the afternoon to start and those who are supposed to go to school in the morning should all report back to school and to further engage their friends” he explained.