By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Paynesville, Liberia, August 6, 2026 – Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah has warned that private schools operating without valid permits will be permanently shut down if they fail to comply with Ministry of Education regulations.
Dr. Jallah said the Ministry’s nationwide geo-mapping exercise has identified several non-compliant schools across the country. She disclosed that the number of schools with valid operational permits has increased from about 800 to more than 2,000.
“If you do not have an operational permit, you are not allowed to open,” the Minister declared Wednesday, August 5, during an appearance on state broadcaster ELBC.
The warning comes as the Ministry intensifies efforts to strengthen accountability, improve learning conditions, and ensure that schools meet national education standards.
To enforce the directive, Dr. Jallah announced that the Ministry has deployed 150 Monitoring and Evaluation officers across the country to verify permits and monitor compliance with national standards.
She said the permit process is meant to ensure that qualified teachers are in classrooms, school buildings are safe for children, and institutions are teaching the approved national curriculum.
The Minister also revealed that several schools that applied for operational permits were denied after failing to meet the Ministry’s requirements.
Registration fees abolished in public primary schools
Dr. Jallah further disclosed that government is eliminating registration fees in public primary schools through direct support to school administrations.
“This school year, if your child is in a public primary school, no student will be required to pay registration fees,” she stated.
She said the reform is part of broader efforts to reduce the financial burden on parents and improve access to primary education.
Beyond the abolition of registration fees, Dr. Jallah highlighted several reforms, including the enrollment of 1,000 teachers onto the government payroll to address staffing shortages.
According to her, the Ministry is also moving from paper-based processes to a digital regulatory platform intended to improve efficiency, transparency, and oversight.
“We are building an education sector that is worthy of Liberia’s children and their future,” she said.
For years, Liberia’s education system has struggled with inequality, weak infrastructure, and institutional gaps. But the Minister said the latest measures show that government is moving from diagnosis to enforcement, with focus on quality assurance and stronger governance across the sector.
