PHOTO: SOS National Director Posper Ndione speaking to students during celebration of the Day of the African Child
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Monrovia, Liberia- SOS Villages National Director Prosper Ndione has joined many others Education Stakeholders to call on the government to increase the budget of the Education Ministry.
Mr. Ndione made the statement during a special remark at the official Celebration of Day of the African Child celebrated each year June 16,1976 after a group of school going children protested for their rights to education in South Africa.
The Global Theme for this celebration is: ”Education for all children in Africa: the time is now”, with the National Theme, Promoting inclusive and resilient educational system for every child in Liberia”, which underscores the critical importance of providing quality education and safeguarding the well-being of children. This will ensure that they can thrive and contribute to their communities and Country.
According to Mr. Ndione, education is key in every country indicating that any nation without education, said nation will eventually disappear.
“Education is a right and not a privilege” but rather a right for every children,” Mr. Ndione emphasized.
The SOS National Director has amplified calls on the National government to build more public schools and Universities in order to allow parents who can’t afford private schools fee to send their children to school and to aligned it with technology since we are living in the technology world.
“When European was eating roasted meat, African already invented fire” and after observing Africans, they brought in colonialism where countries started speaking English, French, Portuguese and now Chinese.
He said currently, SOS is operating in 137 countries worldwide providing education for children who lost their parents and abandoned.
Additionally, he stressed that access to quality education remains a cornerstone for development and employment. Despite progress made, there are 1.4 million children in Liberia who still face barriers to education.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural (UNESCO) Education sector Analysis 2022 shows that the gross enrollment rate in Liberia currently is 881,131.
Director Ndione further stated that enrollment at the lower primary level decreased by more than 50,000 students from 2015 to 2020, while all other levels witnessed slight increases in overall enrollment.
“Early childhood Development (ECD) is a clear government priority at the policy level”, however, access in public schools still requires payment of fees including the purchase of uniforms, the SOS national director urged government and stakeholders,” the SOS Director added.
Meanwhile, the SOS national director is committed to breaking down these barriers and ensuring that every child, regardless of their background or circumstances, has the opportunity to learn and thrive.