By Bill W. Cooper
Education Minister Ansu Sonii has refuted a claim made by Deputy Information Minister Eugene Fahngon that President George Weah had plans of paying the salary of private schools teachers across the country.
Minister Sonii said at no point in time he and President Weah ever had discussion of such nature.
Recently, Minister Fahngon on his official Facebook page alleged, “While you causing his deceased mother and insulting Mandingo people, he’s about to pay private school teachers! Manneh!”
Responding to the assertion at the Ministry of Information during a special press briefing Monday, August 3, Minister Sonii, among many things, stated that as the Minister of Education, he is not knowledgeable about any decision by President Weah.
Minister Sonii intoned, “I wish it was not said but if it has been said, then probably it might in the making. The teachers are already waiting for something; as you know, some of them have not gotten anything for close to three months.”
“So if I give over 30,000 private schools’ teachers the impression that we want to give them something now and it does not happen, it will be negative to us. So I am waiting if this come to realization and it is clear, then we will be excited to start the process,” the MoE boss averred.
Professor Sonii further stated, “For now I say No, President Weah has never communicated this decision with me or ever engaged me on this matter about paying private schools teachers’ salary.”
Commenting on other issues, Minister Sonii further disclosed that since the resumption of classes for 12th graders across the country, only one student has been tested positive of the COVID-19, noting that based on that, they at the MoE with advices from Health authorities decided to allow students return to class in order for them to complete the remaining periods for the academic school year while ensuring that they follow all the health protocols.
He added, “It was better to take risk by reopening schools around the country despite the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic. If our students’ from both 6th and 12th grades do not take this year’s exam, they will have to come back to school and repeat the classes because the materials that were to be given this year will definitely have to change because the WEAC is an international test.”
Minister Sonii further disclosed that the MoE is in consultation with authorities at the various universities as well as the MoH on the reopening of higher learning institutions across the country; and that they are at the final stage of the discussion.