
Monrovia – The Youth Coalition for Education in Liberia (YOCEL) in partnership with the More-for-Education Campaign is calling on the Government of Liberia to increase the national budget for education by 20% in June of this year (2020).
According to the civil society group, the 20% increment is the minimum benchmark set for Sub-Saharan countries to allocate from their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to support their education sector.
“The 20% is the benchmark with reference to the Incheon Declaration of 2014, Dakar Framework of 2015 and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) minimum standard for Sub-Sahara Countries including Liberia to allocate minimum 20% of their countries gross domestic Product to the education sector,” the group said.
“The 20% is the benchmark with reference to the Incheon Declaration of 2014, Dakar Framework of 2015 and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) minimum standard for Sub-Sahara Countries including Liberia to allocate minimum 20% of their countries gross domestic Product to the education sector.”
Youth Coalition for Education in Liberia (YOCEL)
Addressing a news conference Wednesday, at the organization’s national office in Paynesville, Mr. Karley said the education sector is faced with many challenges due to low budgetary allocation and limited resources.
Karley further asserted that the challenges confronting the education sector can only be curtail by “Political will” with support from the Executive and the Legislature.
He added that the lack of subsidy and low budgetary allotment to the education sector is a major challenge that is affecting the youthful population in the country.
“Now, we can see that private school teachers have also been affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Subsidies from the government to private schools are not forth coming. The budgetary allotments to the education sector still remain a challenge, leaving the youthful population more vulnerable”
Mr. Karley continued: “Again, we are appealing to the government to improve service delivery by providing quality and affordable education for all citizens”
YOCEL and the coalition partners of the More-for-Education Campaign are civil society organizations involve in advocating for a minimum of 20% allocation to the national budget of the education sector by June of this year.
The civil society group has been engaging education stakeholders, policy makers including lawmakers of the Legislature to increase the education sector national budget to the minimum of 20%.