PHOTO: Just one image from the deplorable school building
The learning environment in many of Liberia’s schools, especially in rural parts, is deplorable and not conducive, to say the least.
As Reporter Garmah Never Lomo reports, one of such schools is the A.A. Hoff Elementary and Junior High School located in the home county of Liberia’s President George Manneh Weah, Grand Kru in southeastern Liberia.
Mr. Francis D. Wesseh has been making an urgent appeal for help to rescue the scores of kids that attend this institution. Besides the poor condition of the structure, the school lacks sanitary facilities and chair, as many students still have to tote chairs from their home, with many walking long distances.
A. Hoff School is in Big Suehn Barclayville Education District and it was founded in the 1960s with the sole purpose of educating Liberian students.
Principal Wesseh told www.newspublictrust.com recently, that since the formation of the school, it has been faced with many challenges ranging from none conducive learning environment, lack of seating and funds to smoothly operate. And in a desperately impoverished community like this, the lacking of a feeding program is also adding insult to injury.
He said the focus is this institution sourcing building materials, chairs, funds and instructional materials, which he says are urgently needed for the smooth running of the institution, which wants was established to education tomorrow’s leaders.
This is just one of hundreds of schools facing such plight across Liberia, as Liberian Lawmakers have each pocket US$30,000.00 just to engage their constituents apart from their huge salaries and other benefits, many critics of the action say the over three million US dollars in total should have gone to the struggling education and health sectors of the country.
And some members of the Executive branch of government including President Weah, have themselves come under serious criticisms in some quarters for their lavish lifestyles and alleged mismanagement of the country’s resources.
In spite of the dilapidated condition it is in, the A. A. Haff Elementary and Junior High School is in Barclayville is doing the little it can in molding the minds of over 255 pupils, many of whom are compelled to sit on mud bricks, as their school structure falls apart.
Principal Wesseh wants urgent help and his school provides hope for the education of thousands of children in this area. “There are approximately 10,000 children living around the area and over half of them are not in school, either because they have to help their parents find a daily meal or because life is just too difficult for them,” Mr. Francis D. Wesseh added.
According to him, they are struggling to keep the students in school through the rainy season, which runs from April to October.
Principal Wesseh further noted that during rainy season, students in his school find it very hard to cope with the poor condition of the school building, because when it rains the water pours into the classrooms.