Prioritizing Education: Why We Should Care?
Liberia’s Ministry of Education is this month expected to host an Education Summitwith the aim of harnessing a collective effort to provide a quality education for every Liberian child,
This landmark event is expected to be held at the Booker Washington Institute in Kakata City, Margibi County from May 21-25, 2018, a press release said in Monrovia on Friday.
The summit will be hosted by Minister of Education, Prof. Dr. Ansu D. Sonii Sr. and will bring together over 300 education specialists, policy makers, parents, business and community leaders, teachers as well as others with an interest in seeing the Liberian education system succeed.
Liberian President George Manneh Weah will open the internationally significant event by highlighting the government’s vision for education as a key pillar of the Pro-Poor Agenda and outlining his government’s approach to working alongside key stakeholders and experts to give Liberian children the best possible start in life.
In addition, special presentations from partners such as the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the World Bank and USAID will be made.
Education is a priority for the new administration, which has recognized that robust change is needed to improve the life chances of Liberians and contribute to the sustained development of Liberia or the benefit of everyone.
The objectives of the summit are to:
- Present findings from key assessments of the education sector (ESA, other reports from the sector);
- Present the “Pro-Poor Agenda” perspectives for quality education in Liberia;
- Identify workable solutions that contribute to an improved education system;
- Present the rationale for increments in allocation to the education sector in the national budget; and
- Obtain shared commitments for education advancement in Liberia.
The summit will be divided into two sessions. The first two days will provide opportunities for key stakeholders to review the education sector, provide independent perspectives of the status of the sector, and develop consensus around a shared vision for the improvement of the education system in Liberia.
The last three days will concentrate entirely on the Joint Education Sector Review (JESR), which will assess implementation progress at both the county and national levels against planned activities and targets outlined in the Getting to Best Education Sector Plan (G2B ESP) and will outline forward-looking recommendations. The administration anticipates that tangible steps can be agreed during the Summit to begin to make the improvements in education that the Liberian people wish to see.
Speaking ahead of the summit, Minister Sonii said:
“In order to build on previous gains and learn from existing challenges, we have undertaken a wide range of engagement with stakeholders and a nation-wide assessment of schools. This has provided us with first-hand information about the issues affecting education in Liberia today.
“This ground-breaking summit builds on the commitment we have shown to finding the right solutions to give all Liberians the start in life that will help them and Liberia prosper in the years to come. By bringing together a broad range of partners, stakeholders and independent experts in the education sector we aim to build a consensus on essential priorities to fast-track reform of the education sector.”