By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara

Teachers who remain absent from their assigned schools for six consecutive terms without going through the established disciplinary process could be removed from the government payroll, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Conrad Sackey has warned.

The Minister made the disclosure during a special edition of the Civic Town Hall discussion held under the theme, “How Do We Address the Threats to Quality Education in Sierra Leone?”

Sackey said the Government is strengthening teacher accountability through the introduction of a digital attendance monitoring system known as “We Day Ya”, which uses fingerprint technology, GPS and tablets to track teachers’ attendance and confirm whether they are reporting to their assigned schools.

According to the Minister, the system will record both the location and time at which a teacher registers attendance, making it easier for education authorities to detect irregularities and attempts to manipulate attendance records.

“If you do that outside of the school, they will see where you do it and at what time,” Sackey said, stressing that the technology would provide greater transparency in monitoring teacher attendance.

The Minister explained that the initiative is also intended to address the problem of ghost teachers and prevent public funds from being paid to individuals who are not fulfilling their teaching responsibilities.

He said teachers who are absent from their assigned schools for six consecutive terms could eventually be taken off the government payroll, but emphasised that such action would follow due process.

“If you are absent for six consecutive terms without setting up a panel where the union itself is part of, we are going to say we will take you off the payroll,” he said.

Sackey stressed that the process would involve an established disciplinary panel, with the teachers’ union participating before any decision is taken to remove an affected teacher from the payroll.

The Minister said the digital attendance system would also reduce the Government’s reliance on physical verification exercises, which often require officials to travel to schools across the country to confirm whether teachers are present.

Such physical verification, he noted, could be costly and potentially create opportunities for manipulation or abuse of the monitoring process.

Meanwhile, the Ministry is strengthening its broader school supervision mechanisms through the Quality Assurance Directorate.

Sackey disclosed that quality assurance officers have been provided with motorbikes to enable them to travel more effectively to schools and conduct monitoring exercises.

He further revealed that the Director of Quality Assurance is now required to submit monthly reports to the Ministry’s Senior Management Team.

The reports, according to the Minister, provide information on schools visited, conditions observed and challenges identified during monitoring exercises, allowing the Ministry to respond more effectively to problems affecting the delivery of education.

Beyond teacher attendance, Sackey said the Government is also using technology to strengthen accountability in other areas of the education sector, including efforts to combat examination malpractice.

He also disclosed plans for new legislation aimed at strengthening oversight of teachers, schools and examinations by giving education authorities greater powers to enforce standards and improve compliance.

The introduction of the “We Day Ya” digital monitoring system therefore forms part of a wider Government effort to improve accountability within Sierra Leone’s education system.

The initiative is expected to provide education authorities with more reliable attendance data, strengthen supervision of teachers, reduce absenteeism and ensure that public resources allocated to education are reaching their intended beneficiaries.

The Government maintains that stronger monitoring and accountability are necessary to improve the quality of teaching and learning, while ensuring that teachers who faithfully report to their schools and perform their duties are not disadvantaged by the actions of absentee or non-performing colleagues.

Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 2nd September 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)