Monrovia – Liberia elections are over, but former presidential candidate Alexander B. Cummings says, he remains impactful in improving the country’s educational sector.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah – [email protected]
Cummings said when more investment is done in the educational sector; Liberia would take its rightful place among the comity of nations and help strengthen its future.
Speaking Thursday at program marking Quarter One Report Program of the Alexander B. Cummings Model Science and Technology School in Duport Road, Paynesville, the Alternative National Congress political leader said there’s need to tap upon the potentials of Liberians students with talents.
‘We try to bring excellence to the educational sector of Liberia and this is not a large institution, it’s an institution that brings excellence and a new standard to science and technology in Liberia,” he said.
‘You all are very smart and if we invest in all of you and other young Liberians, we will be able to turn around the country and ensure that Liberia takes its rightful place as one of the best countries in the world.”
Congratulating students for their zest towards education, the former Liberian Presidential hopeful commended teachers at the school for their commitment, reemphasizing his commitment to support the school.
“I will be committed to not only personally supporting the school, but we will try to get involved in actively raising funding to support the school,” Cumming noted.
He also revealed initiative by the Coca Cola Foundation to contribute US$15,000 to the institution for the next two academic years.
In support of his quest to remain impactful in Liberia’s educational sector, Cummings further presented a cheque of US$25,000 to the fast growing science and technology school as his contribution for 2017, promising to give them additional US$25,000 for 2018 school year, soon.
Cummings believes the presentation of the cheques and other financial supports to the institution surely reflects his mission to adequately prepare young Liberians to meet future challenges.
“It’s not about the financial contribution, although that is important, but it’s more important than money, it’s because of you the young people, because you represent the future of our country,” Cummings asserted.
The ANC presidential candidate in the just ended October 10 elections pledged his commitment to ensure that the institution bearing his full name remains Liberia’s premier Science and Technology school.
Mr. Cummings, at the same time, sees the institution as the “beginning of reintroducing excellent education in Liberia,” which he said, “used to be the hallmark of Liberia’s educational system prior to the civil unrest”.
Dr. Emmanuel L.S. Wreh, Principal of the school, expressed conviction in the performance of his students and said they are responding positively to a new system of education in Liberia.
These responsive according to him are derived from the system put in place for incorporating students at the Alexander B. Cummings Model Science and Technology School.
Wreh said: “Students just don’t come here, you must be interview and have certain grades to come here and to remain here, and you must maintain certain grades.”
The students said they have learnt several new things that would help them to better prepare for the future.
Yvette Ndorbor, a seventh grade female student, wants children of her age and youths in Liberia to take education serious.
“I want to tell children who are not willing to go to school that they are damaging their futures. If they are saying they want to sit by, tomorrow, they will depend on someone like me,” student Ndorbor said.
She’s however calling on the leadership of president-elect George Weah to prioritize Liberia’s education sector.
For his part, student Joseph Gbanah of the eighth grade class also expressed delight over the school teaching methodology.
According to him, the method of teaching at the institution is far better than other institutions he had attended and he called on his fellow students to pay more attention to their lessons if they intend to lead the future.