A Boost To Learning With Pres. Boakai’s “One Child, One Chair” Initiative
By Gabriel M C Parker
BOMI COUNTY, Liberia–Public schools across this western Liberian County have received a major boost in classroom infrastructure, following the distribution of more than one thousand modern armchairs under President Joseph Boakai’s “One Child, One Chair” initiative.
The exercise, which marks the first phase of the program in the county, benefited nineteen public schools which are said to be facing serious seating shortages. The initiative is aimed at improving classroom conditions and ensuring that every child has a proper place to sit while learning.
Speaking during the official distribution ceremony, Bomi County Education Officer Sam Harris said the intervention was triggered by a formal request from the Ministry of Education for counties to assess and report institutions lacking adequate seating capacity.
According to Mr. Harris, the Bomi County School System conducted a thorough assessment and submitted a list of affected schools to the Ministry for consideration.
“Following the Ministry’s request, we carefully identified schools where students were struggling due to insufficient chairs and forwarded those names for immediate intervention,” the County Education Officer explained.
Mr. Harris added that upon review, the Ministry approved Bomi County as one of the beneficiaries of the first phase and subsequently dispatched over one thousand modern armchairs to the county.
“This initiative by President Boakai is not just about chairs; it is about restoring dignity to our students and creating an environment that supports effective teaching and learning,” the County Education Officer emphasized.
Among the schools that benefited from the distribution are C.H. Dewey Central High School, Bomi Junior High School, Sass Town High School, Jenneh #3 High School, Gbah Public School, and H.Q. Taylor Junior High School, along with several other public institutions across the county.
Receiving the chairs on behalf of C.H. Dewey Central High School, Acting Principal Alexander Doe described the gesture as timely and impactful.
“For years, our students have struggled, sometimes sitting on broken chairs or standing during classes. This support will significantly ease that burden and improve concentration in the classroom,” Mr. Doe stated.
Also speaking, Sando Dawaki, Vice Principal of Bomi Junior High School, commended the government for what he termed a practical response to a long-standing challenge.
“This is a clear demonstration that the government is listening to the needs of schools across the country. These chairs will help reduce overcrowding and enhance the learning atmosphere for our students,” Mr. Dawaki noted.
Administrators from other beneficiary schools echoed similar sentiments, recounting the daily difficulties students faced due to limited seating capacity.
They expressed hope that subsequent phases of the initiative will reach additional schools and further strengthen the education system in Bomi County.