By Charles Gbayor,charlesmenlor@gmail.com
HARPER, Liberia- The United States Agency for international Development (USAID) in collaboration with a local civil society group, YOCEL have ended a day-long Forum on More 4 Education, for 20 percent budget increment to be allotted annually for the Ministry of Education.
Liberia increased its National Budget allocation for the Ministry of Education from 13.7% in the 2017/2018 Budget to 14.7 % in 2018/2019.
Considering the Liberian Government efforts, these percentages are still below the 20 percent global benchmark for Education financing and the Education sector plan 2010 2020.
Statistics show Liberia as the least Country in terms of the share of national budget on Education in the Mano River Union Countries. And this country sits second place in West Africa compared with eight other African countries.
The Ghanaian Republic has 33 percent followed by Zimbabwe and Ethiopia at 30 and 27 percent, respectively.
The figure shows and confirms that Liberia is far from meeting the GPES benchmark of Government expenditure on Education as a share of National budget which is put at 20%.
The Forum brought together hundreds of Marylanders who included Students from the J. S. Pratt United Methodist High school, Our Lady of Fatima, John Hailrey Tubman and Maryland County oldest high school Cape Plamas High School, Maryland County youth President Thomas Kumar, Tubman University students Government Association president Smith Samah, the Tubman University Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Mle-Too Wesley and Maryland County Superintendent George A. Prowd, among others.
The program was held at the Moses Greenfield Youth Center in Jacksonville Township just outside of Harper City.
Speaking during the Forum Tubman University Vice president For Academic Affairs, Dr. Mle Too Wesley said government needs to construct schools in every Cluster village across the Country to help bring Education to the people in the rural part of Liberia.
The Tubman University Vice President said if the Government of Liberia invest in building more Schools in the Country ,it will help reduce the over crowdedness in Classroom across Liberia.
He attributed the low budgetary allocation to the Education sector of the Country to parents’ unwillingness to prioritize their children’s education.
He at the same time encouraged parents to take their Children Education serious.
According to the Senior Program Manager of Youth Coalition for Education in Liberia Matthew S. Karley, the Annual budget of the Education Ministry is at 14.7 %and we need an increment. YOCEL is advocating alongside partners for an increment Ministry of Education budget to 20%.
Mr. Karley said Liberia is the least in the West African Region in terms of Supporting Education and it needs to increase the Budget to 50million every year to support the Education sector in Liberia.
I want to appeal to our parents, Teachers and well many Liberians to rally around for support and invest in the Sector.
The Program Senior officer of YOCEL used the occasions to appeal to Liberians to stop missing Politics with Education and bring Idea how to generate funds to support the Education sector.
For his part the Acting County Education officer and Harper District Education officer James Wilson said Maryland County has 205 High schools and the Total number of 49,000 thousand students.
Wilson disclosed to media that several Recommendations to the national Government to replace some Teachers who has left classroom or die with active one on teachers on Payroll.
“I’m asking the Maryland county legislative Caucus and the County to include our Ministry in the County sitting and allocated sufficient funds for the smooth running of schools in the county,” Mr. Wilson said.
He said parents should join hands with them and support the Maryland County Educational Sector so that our kids can be adequately prepared for the future.
The Acting County Education Officer said the Education Ministry was left out of the Maryland County Council sitting in December last year.