The Ministry of Education’s County Assessment Tour report has uncovered significant challenges facing students in rural Liberia, exposing critical educational disparities.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, said the assessment concluded on June 17, 2024, and aimed to comprehensively evaluate the educational system, identifying achievements as well as challenges to ensure high-quality education across Liberia.
Speaking during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, Dr. Jallah highlighted several key issues, including poor educational infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, shortage of trained teachers in basic and secondary education, high teacher absenteeism, reliance on volunteer teachers, inadequate seating and WASH facilities, ineffective lesson plans affecting instructional quality, high number of overaged students, mismatched placements and significant population of out-of-school children.
According to her, the report identified challenges in achieving satisfactory learning outcomes, particularly in literacy and numeracy skills appropriate for grade levels.
She also pointed out arbitrary transfer of teachers and administrators, minimal teacher accommodation in rural areas, and inefficiencies in resource utilization.
Minister Jallah emphasized the need for impactful policy adjustments, enhanced accountability in fiscal operations, and the introduction of biometric ID cards and electronic sign-in systems to effectively enforce MOE policies.
She vowed that the ministry will hold accountable contractors responsible for delayed or substandard school construction projects.
“The ministry aims to strengthen public-private partnerships (PPP) to improve learning outcomes, enhance teacher training and manage school operations more effectively,” she said.
Meanwhile, the initiatives outlined in the minister’s presentation include enhancing pedagogical content and specialization, recruiting and retaining trained teachers, reducing classroom overcrowding through school construction and renovation, deploying guidance counselors in public senior secondary schools to support girl retention and completion, implementing continued professional development nationwide, and establishing a rigorous monitoring and supervision framework for on-going improvement.
She said the ministry plans to conduct joint education sector reviews, initiate annual school censuses, develop strategies for teacher workforce recruitment, activate national youth service programs, and introduce standardized accelerated learning curricula.
Minister Jallah concluded by announcing a plan for a donor conference to secure additional investments aimed at closing funding gaps and effectively operationalizing the sector plan.
The Ministry of Education is mandated to provide quality education for all and prepare future leaders who are capable of handling the task of nation-building, protecting the national heritage and enhancing the socio-economic growth and development for the sustenance of the Liberian state.
To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Vision 2030, “We must invest in our teachers, students, schools and institutions to increase access to education and improve the quality of teaching and learning. We are all responsible for the education of our children, as parents, guardians, communities and government.”