-Teachers to be licensed, academic crimes court to be set up
By Alloycious David
Authorities at the Ministry of Education have disclosed several plans they would execute to strengthen the country’s messy educational sector.
Some of the tough measures, which have already been instituted by the ministry include the licensing of teachers, re-introduction of civics in the national curriculum, and the drafting of law to establish an academic crime court to prosecute individuals involved in what its term as academic crimes.
Explaining the new policies at a news conference on Thursday, Education Minister, Prof. D. Ansu Sonii, Sr. said the new team at the ministry has resolved that all teachers be licensed by the Ministry of Education.
He said teachers would be evaluated through examinations to determine whether they are qualified to serve as teachers.
The Ministry of Education, according to him, will not considered degrees and certificates from teacher training institute across the country as a basis for licensing of teachers; because they are papers obtained to teach, which doesn’t make them teachers.
According to him, the exercise which would soon kickoff and completed in a period of two years is intended to protect the teaching profession.
“You can’t just come from anywhere to teach our kids,” the new Liberian Education Minister said.
“We don’t want a 5th grader teaching circulars-they are only displaying their knowledge and not teaching,” Prof. Sonii emphasized.
Education Minister Sonii disclosed that teachers who have spent more than 40 years in the classrooms would be exempt from writing the test for licensing. But they will go through a cleaning process.
There are reports that there are unqualified teachers in the classrooms, especially in rural Liberia, where it has been repeatedly proven that high school graduates and dropout are teaching due to the lack of qualified teachers in those areas.
Minister Sonii threatened to aggressively punish principals who will allow unlicensed teachers into their classrooms.
He noted that teachers’ licenses would be revoked for various reasons and noted that when your license is revoked you will not be allowed to teach in this country.
The Education Minister disclosed that every school would be monitored, noting he and his colleagues who were appointed by President George Weah have accepted to compliment the works of county and district education officers by visiting schools.
Flanked by his deputies and other Assistant Ministers, Prof. Sonii explained that they would provide compensation to local government authorities including district commissioners, city majors and others.
This, he said will help in the monitoring of schools to discourage students working on the private farms of teachers in rural areas.
Speaking further, Minister Sonii, a former professor of the University of Liberia said the new policy would also ensure that students are transferred from one school to another under the supervision of school administrations only.
According to him, the ministry would initiate fines and penalties policy for businesses selling alcoholic beverages to students during school hours.
Minister Sonii noted that the admission of students into video clubs during school time is prohibited and operators of video clubs and beaches caught would be punished
He also disclosed that the new team is drafted a law to be forwarded to the Legislature for the setting up of an academic crimes court that would prosecute perpetrators of crimes ranging from malpractices during exams, self-promotion of students by their parents.
Prof. Sonii indicated that the court to relieve other criminal courts at the Temple of Justice, saying that the proposed academic crimes court would be budgeted for by the Supreme Court of Liberia.