PHOTO: NTLA President Mary Nyumah
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The National Teachers Association of Liberia has made a passionate appeal to the government to some provide financial assistance to private school teachers throughout the country.
The Association’s President, Mary Nyumah said private school teachers have not been paid by their proprietors due to the closure of schools since the corona outbreak two months now. And as a result, they have been finding very difficult to cater to their families.
Addressing a press conference in Monrovia on Wednesday, June 17, 2020, Mrs. Nyumah pleaded with President George Weah to see reason and do something for private school teachers, in order to put smiles on their faces especially during this crisis period.
She explained that the Coronavirus outbreak has affected all sectors of the Liberian society and teachers employed with private schools are worse due to the vulnerability of the sector.
Mrs. Nyumah however, thanked the Liberian government for paying the salaries of teachers and education workers in the public sector who have been struggling since the outbreak of the deadly disease in the country.
The NTAL President also commended President George Weah for the measures put in place to contain the spread of the virus.This include the health protocol, the state of emergency and the lockdown in order to enhance safety in the country
There are 44,000 teachers are reported to be members of the NTAL and a vast number of them are employed with schools that are owned and managed by privately and faith based institutions
Recently, the National Association of Private School Principals appealed to the government to include the private school teachers in its US$25 million stimulus package.
In a press statement, the association proposed that government create the avenue through which private schools will secure funding to pay teachers and education workers, so as to curb the level hardship currently been experience as a result of the outbreak of corona virus
The Liberian government recently began the payment of salaries of teachers and education workers in the employed of the state
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Liberia last March, several business including schools were ordered closed and the faith of those employed left in limbo.