-Outlines activities and set tone to achieve its priorities
Liberia’s Ministry of Education has said it is prepared to utilize donor funding in conformity with government’s agenda and priorities.
In a policy statement issued in Monrovia recently, the Ministry named improvement of Early Childhood and Primary Education, Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET), effective supervision, improving Ministry Records, Payroll Vetting and Improvement of Teachers Remuneration, among other things.
As part of the actions to tackle the issues and improve the sector, the Education Ministry assures citizens and partners of its commitment to improving the country’s messy education system.
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE-G2B) recently approved a US$11.09M Grant agreement with the World Bank geared towards improving Early Childhood and Primary Education in Liberia.
According to the Education Ministry, the project is expected to train teachers for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) level, establish Leadership Program for school principals, and improve on Monitoring of Schools. The project will benefit a number of stakeholders including 40,000 or more ECE students, over 60 community caregivers, 1,400 teachers, 1,300 principals, and 127 DEOs in the targeted counties of Bomi, Rivercess, Grand Kru, Maryland, River Gee and Sinoe.
Regarding Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET), the Ministryalong with the Ministry of Youth and Sports are also expected to benefit from a 20 million Euro project sponsored by the European Union (EU).
The project is expected to benefit 50 TVET teachers who will receive training from top TVET universities abroad, six (6) administrators to be trained and placed in the six multilateral schools across Liberia, and modernized 6 TVET institutions to a 21th Century state of the art institutions.
The Ministry of Education has also outlined what it described as a list of swift actions currently undertaken as part of its work in transforming the sector.”
In few months of the administration of Prof. Dr. Ansu D. Sonii, Sr, the Ministry of Education outlines list of swift actions taken and relishes donor funding opportunities to the benefit of the education sector, in line with the government’s Pro-Poor Agenda.
The Ministry remains determined without any excuses, to tackle the challenges facing the sector. There have been several initiatives already implemented that are geared towards improving the learning environment, student outcomes, school assessment, and monitoring and evaluation. The Ministry has also embarked on improving supervision and enhancing enforcement of policies within its jurisdiction across all schools, the Education Ministry’s statement said.
Enhancing Enforcement
As means to acquire first hand complaints on malpractices in schools and across the sector, the ministry launched a call center hotline “1416” that serves as medium for direct contact to the ministry’s central office. The call center was established to allow the public buttress the ministry’s efforts to effectively supervise and monitor activities of schools across the country.
Through this medium, the ministry has received several complaints and is investigating them through its call center regarding unapproved fees charged to primary and basic level school students.
The Ministry reiterates that the government remains committed to free education for primary and basic level education; while a minimum fee of 1000 Liberian Dollar is charged to Public High School student, and 3000 Liberian Dollar charged to Public Early Childhood Education level.
The Ministry also warns all education officers, principals and school administrators to perform their duties in accordance with mandate of the ministry to abide by the policies and procedures set and avoid malpractice which undermines the essence to the Government’s pro-poor agenda for prosperity and development.
Additionally, the ministry will continue engagement with the private and faith-based institutions to ensure that quality precedes cost. That in as much as they control the cost of fees charged in their schools, it must be backed by the quality of services provided to the students – “he who much is given, much is expected”.
Improving Ministry Records, Payroll Vetting and Improvement of Teachers Remuneration
The Ministry of Education has begun engagement with counterparts of government especially the Civil Service Agency and Ministry of Finance, Development and Planning to review plans of resolving the supplementary teachers’ payroll issues. The Ministry calls on all teachers to remain optimistic and exercise patience as this new administration is working expeditiously to cater for all its employees.
Teachers and School administrators are also encouraged to report names of anyone who has abandoned position at various schools to allow the ministry clean its payroll.
Additionally, the ministry is currently digitizing its personnel data management system for easy access and effortless management of staff across the counties. The system will be used to effectively manage personnel records, recruitment and reports.
Re-introduction of Civics Education and upgrading the National Curriculum
The Ministry has re-introduced and distributed Civics education into the curriculum of all schools in Liberian. Schools will now teach civics across the country for Liberian students.
The framework for a 3-tracked multidisciplinary high school curriculum consisting of Natural Science, Social Science and skills only has been deployed on a pilot basis considering the first two components. The program will allow students focus on specialized area of study in high school.
GIZ Road Maintenance Technician Training: Comparatively to the EU TVET initiative, the GIZ project will conduct Training of Trainers (ToT) for 10 Liberians who will benefit from a high-level competence-based Road Construction and Maintenance Training.
This ten trained specialist will be tasked with the training of fifty (50) students to be admitted into the program who will then be trained to specialize in road construction and maintenance. The ten ToT beneficiaries, after the project, will be absorbed into the Booker T. Washington Institute teacher workforce.
Public Sector Improvement Project (PSIP): Under the PSIP, the ministry plans to provide renovations to 45 selected schools across the country in an effort to improve learning environment, Upgrading of 15 Selected Public Secondary School Science Laboratories, and provide adequate and durable class room furniture.
Other intervention activities for transforming the sector includes, establishing framework for teachers licensing, framework for national primary student learning assessment, school quality standards for Monitoring and Evaluation, improved school assessment and inspection, restructuring of Partnership School for Liberia to Liberia Education Advancement Program, and the regulation of High School fees payment using mobile money.