PHOTO: Those who hanged in there, despite the situation
By Alphanso G. Kalama, Alphansokalama@gmail.com
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LOFA, Liberia- Reports from the northwestern Lofa County say over 200 teachers and other education workers have boycotted a one-month workshop training workshop organized by Education Ministry, ahead of the opening of schools in November.
The controversial training should have adequately focused on school leadership and management.
But according to the reports, participants of boycotted the training at Zorzor Rural Teachers Training Institute (ZRTTI) complained that they took the stance due to what they said was lack of mattress, basic facilities and poor preparations.
The one-month training, which brought over three hundred fifty principals and teachers from across the three regional countries–Bong Lofa and Nimba– was said to have been organized by the Ministry of Education with funded the World bank through the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
But disenchanted teachers, principals and other education workers said that its aim was never met, because of the lack of food, lodging and other logistics. Some of the participants said they were compelled to sleep on the cold floor, lack adequate bathing water, with very little transportation reimbursement from the education authorities.
The participants complained about abandonment and poor welfare by organizers of workshop.
Madam Rebecca Traway, a female participant said that as professional and reputable people their welfare are not prioritized by the organizers if the school leadership and management training, despite they are achieving what they went for.
Madam Traway, who is said to be an administrator of the John F. Bakalo public school in Bong County, noted that they were greeted with cool floor where they slept for about three days, due to the lack of mattresses upon their arrival for the exercise, which was subsequently handled by the management of the facility.
She added that they are encountering challenges including poor sanitation inadequate feeding, among others.
“Like our bathroom as women the drainage, we take bath in a pool I can say. Your friend’s bath water sits into the bathroom you yourself you carry your bucket in the same place just imagine that “pepe-pupu” water whatever,” the Liberian education administrator explained.
Also speaking was John M. Tamba, an educator from Foya District, Lofa County, who expressed concern over the challenge in getting save drinking water since they converged at the ZRTTI.
Responding to the many concerns from participant of the failed training, the Director for Basic Education, Michael W. Toepo II indicated that the insufficiency of feeding was what he called, part of management. And he said that the situation with not providing adequate food was base on his past experience were people will eat and spoil the remaining food.
“We have to admonish our people that this is part of management,” he mentioned.
For his part, the Academy dean of the ZRTTI, Justin Kenneh admitted that although they tried their best, but this government facility remains challenged when comes to logistics such as mattresses, buckets, among other things.