Deputy Minister for Instructions Amos L. Fully cited the continued poor performance of students in public exams as evidence,
Ganta – The government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Education, has announced plans to shut down poorly-performing schools across the country. Deputy Minister for Instructions Amos L. Fully made this announcement in Ganta, Nimba County, stating that many schools are not offering quality education and do not meet operational requirements.
By Franklin Doloquee, contributing writer
He cited the continued poor performance of students in public exams as evidence, noting that many private and faith-based schools have not been performing well in these tests for years but still continue to operate.
Multiple data sources show that Liberia is facing a learning crisis. According to the 2021/2022 Annual School Census Report, the primary school completion rate was 10 percent for boys and 11 percent for girls. The World Bank and UNESCO Institute of Statistics reported that the lower secondary completion rate in 2017 was 46 percent for boys and 42 percent for girls.
According to the World Bank, Liberia faces a major development hurdle due to its low human capital. Limited access to education represents a significant obstacle to efforts to reduce poverty and build human capital.
As part of measures to ensure that schools meet standards, Deputy Minister Fully announced that licenses will be awarded to teachers across the country. This announcement was made during a five-day workshop in Ganta aimed at strengthening education stakeholders in both the private and public sectors.
He acknowledged that teachers abandoning classes for non-governmental organization jobs is impeding students’ learning. Furthermore, Fully accused government-employed teachers of exacerbating problems in the education sector by creating a large number of volunteer teachers who flood classrooms. He warned them to stop bringing volunteer teachers into the education sector.
Deputy Minister Fully told FrontPage Africa that there are more volunteer teachers compared to government-trained teachers in various schools across the country. He contrasted this with the health sector, which administers public tests before employment, whereas in education, unqualified individuals are often found posing as teachers.
Expressing disappointment and frustration during recent tours across the country, Fully said that many public schools have reportedly misused USAID and other development partners’ funding intended to benefit students. He did not give detail on how these monies were misused. However, he highlighted issues such as lack of essential materials like chairs, poor learning environments, and inadequate water and sanitation facilities.
During the tour, students and parents reported that public schools are requesting large sums of money as test fees. Deputy Minister Fully thanked USAID for its continued support of the country’s education sector.
