By By: Alphanso G. Kalama
Monrovia, Liberia – The Ministry of Education’s (MOE) County Assessment Tour report has uncovered significant challenges facing students in rural Liberia, exposing critical educational disparities and urgent needs for support and resources.
The assessment, concluded on June 17, 2024, aimed to evaluate the educational system comprehensively, identifying achievements as well as challenges to ensure high-quality education across Liberia.
Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, presenting findings during a regular briefing at MICAT in Monrovia on Tuesday, July 16, 2023, highlighted several key issues including Poor educational infrastructure and overcrowded classrooms, Acute shortage of trained teachers in basic and secondary education, High teacher absenteeism and reliance on volunteer teachers, Inadequate seating and WASH facilities, Ineffective lesson plans affecting instructional quality, High number of overage students and mismatched placements and Significant population of out-of-school children.
Additionally, the report identified challenges in achieving satisfactory learning outcomes, particularly in literacy and numeracy skills appropriate for grade levels. It also noted arbitrary transfers of teachers and administrators, minimal teacher accommodation in rural areas, and inefficiencies in resource utilization.
To address these issues, 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 enforce MOE policies effectively.
Furthermore, she stressed plans to 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.
Future initiatives outlined include in the miniter presentation includes: 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 girls’ retention and completion, Implementing continuous professional development nationwide, and Establishing a rigorous monitoring and supervision framework for ongoing improvement
Looking ahead, 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 plans for a donor conference to secure additional investments aimed at closing funding gaps and operationalizing the sector plan effectively.
