Margibi County—The Government of Liberia (GoL), through the Ministry of Education (MoE), has imposed a fine of LRD500,000 on the Firestone Liberia School System for violating national graduation regulations by including ineligible students in its recent graduation ceremony.
By Yawah Y. Jaivey
However, the civil society organization Youth Alliance for Rural Development (YARD-Liberia) has called on the government to impose more stringent actions to deter future violations.
In a statement issued on October 1, 2025, the MoE announced the fine against Firestone for allowing students who did not meet the minimum graduation requirements to participate in its September 28’s Graduation Ceremony.
According to the Ministry, only 27 students at Firestone Senior High School met the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) Standard of passing at least five subjects, including Mathematics and English. Despite this, MoE said the school reportedly proceeded with a graduation ceremony involving ineligible students at its Division 44 campus, in clear violation of MoE regulations. These rules, MoE disclosed, apply equally to public, private, faith-based, and community schools.
The Ministry has given the Firestone School System a 14-day ultimatum to pay the fine or face further sanctions, including suspension of its operational permit.
“Partnerships with schools remain central to delivering quality education, but partnership does not mean exemption from the rules, upholding standards protects students, maintains fairness, and ensures the credibility of Liberia’s education system,” the MoE’s statement noted.
The MoE emphasized that this enforcement action is part of its broader reform agenda under the ARREST initiative, which seeks to ensure accountability, raise learning outcomes, and restore public trust in the school system.
The MoE also called on parents, school administrators, and County and District Education Officers to help enforce academic standards, adding that suspected violations of graduation or examination regulations should be reported immediately to local education offices or the national MoE hotline (1416).
But, Dennis Kromah, Executive Director of Youth Alliance for Rural Development (YARD-Liberia), has expressed deep concern over the Ministry’s decision, calling the LRD 500,000 fine insufficient given the severity of the violation.
Mr. Kromah noted that although only 27 students met the WASSCE standard, Firestone Senior High School paraded 231 students as graduates during its September 28 ceremony in Division #44, Harbel Hills.
“What is even more troubling is that during the program, the General Manager of Firestone Liberia, LLC claimed that 98% of the candidates had passed WASSCE—a statement that contradicts official records from the Ministry,” he added.
In a statement, Mr. Kromah questioned the transparency of the event, pointing out that there was no segment for educational stakeholders to speak.
Continuing, Mr. Kromah stated, “What exactly was Firestone trying to hide? Why was an event of such importance conducted in a way that shut out accountability voices?”
YARD-Liberia Executive Director emphasized that the issue extends beyond Firestone and strikes at the credibility of Liberia’s entire education system.
He added, “Allowing ineligible students to graduate undermines merit, misleads parents, and risks producing a generation ill-prepared for real-world success.”
He called on Firestone to publicly clarify its position on the MoE’s findings within the 14-day deadline and demanded an explanation for the contradiction between the school’s 98% pass claim and the Ministry’s official data.
The YARD-Liberia boss is also urging the MoE to publish a comprehensive list of schools across Liberia that have met graduation eligibility requirements.
Mr. Kromah asserted this step would prevent misinformation and build public trust.
At the same time, the group is calling on the Ministry of Education to disclose any actions being taken against other schools that may have held graduation ceremonies for ineligible students.
“Accountability must be uniform. Firestone should not be the only focus. Anything less than full disclosure and equal enforcement will amount to selective justice.” YARD-Liberia Executive Director emphasized.
Mr. Kromah vowed that YARD-Liberia, as a youth-led organization, will continue to mobilize communities and amplify the voices of parents and students to demand higher standards in education.
“Liberia’s children deserve truth, fairness, and opportunities built on merit—not manipulated statistics or ceremonial shortcuts,” he said.
When contacted, Firestone Liberia’s Communications Manager, Justice R. Clarke, declined to comment directly. He requested that all inquiries be submitted via email, noting that the company would issue an official response in due course.
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