Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah questions the legality of demand by protesting students here, suspecting that their protests may have been influenced by outside motives.
By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Monrovia, Liberia, March 27, 2025- The ongoing protests by public school students in Monrovia, Liberia, is in response to the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) teachers’ strike, demanding salary increases.
Protests by public school students over teachers’ pay has sparked controversy here, particularly due to government’s involvement, with Minister of Education, Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the students’ demands.
Dr. Jallah terms the protests held in the last two days, as unfortunate, with suspicion that they were being manipulated by certain individuals with ulterior motives.
The Minister reveals that the Monrovia Consolidated School System that administers scores of public schools in Montserrado County, has an “annual budget of US$4.2 million, with US$3.9 million being used for teachers’ salaries”. She emphasizes that teachers’ salaries have been paid, making the protests concerning.
Dr. Jallah also reveals that the ministry is collaborating with the Liberia National Police (LNP) to investigate individuals behind the protests.
The teachers’ strike for lack of salary has caused significant disruptions in schools, leaving many classrooms inactive, especially at MCSS, which primarily serves students from less-privileged backgrounds.
On March 24, 2025, students began protesting, seeking attention from the government about the teachers’ boycott of classes, which has led to disruption of students’ learning process.
Their protests escalated here on Tuesday, with the Liberian National Police (LNP) responding with excessive force, using tear gas, batons, and other tactics. The police’s response left several students injured and caused significant disturbances, including halting normal activities at the University of Liberia and creating traffic jams that lasted for hours.
The handling of the protest by the government and security forces has led to widespread condemnation. There are concerns about the treatment of peaceful students, who were merely trying to voice their concerns about the state of their education.
The protest turned out to be a tense situation where students, affected by the strike of their teachers, are protesting for them to return to class and teach to have them prepare for examinations administered by the West African Examination Council or WAEC.
Meanwhile, government officials and security forces are caught in the middle, with Minister Jallah accusing certain individuals of manipulating the situation for political gain.
The response from the police has drawn criticism, raising important questions about the government’s handling of peaceful demonstrations and the welfare of students. Editing by Jonathan Browne
