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The Ministry of Finance has strongly denied circulating claims on social media asserting that the government has disbursed funds for third-term tuition and 2026 examination fees for pupils in government and government-assisted schools.
According to an official statement, the document currently spreading online—which alleges that massive sums have been paid out under the Free Quality Education programme—is entirely fake and unauthorized.
The viral document falsely claims that billions of Leones were paid to beneficiary schools and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for the National Primary School Examination (NPSE) and Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The Ministry clarified that it did not issue this purported release. Officials are urging the public to disregard the unverified announcement and warning against the continued spread of misinformation regarding government payments.
This disclaimer arrives during a period of heightened public scrutiny over the funding of the education sector, specifically concerning the government’s Free Quality Education Programme.
Just days prior to the spread of this fake notice, the Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU) escalated its concerns regarding delayed funding. On May 9, 2026, the SLTU wrote to Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, urging his immediate intervention over the prolonged delays in government school fee subsidies.
The union highlighted several critical issues currently affecting the sector:
Unpaid Subsidies: Despite government assurances, subsidies for the second and third terms for Junior Secondary and Primary Schools for the 2025/2026 academic year remain unpaid.
Prior Resolutions: The SLTU reminded the Vice President of the agreements that ended the nationwide teachers’ strike in September 2025, which included settling backlog fee subsidies.
Stalled Negotiations: The Joint Committee established to resolve these ongoing educational disputes has reportedly failed to reconvene since its inaugural meeting.
Operational Struggles: With schools already operating in their third term, many administrators are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain effective teaching environments without essential state support.
The SLTU acknowledged the Vice President’s crucial role in mediating previous impasses and expressed hope that his office would once again step in to ensure the release of the outstanding subsidies.
In the meantime, government authorities have encouraged all citizens and education stakeholders to rely exclusively on official communication channels from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education for accurate updates regarding school fee and examination payments.
