Monrovia – In the wake of recent pronunciation to of a tuition free undergraduate education for all Liberians, the teenage based group “Girls Alliance for Future Leadership” has made an impassioned plea to President George Weah to extend similar opportunity to Liberian kids.
In a letter to the president Faith Smith Secretary General of Girls Alliance lauded President Weah for fulfilling his prior promise of making education his number one agenda priority. But called for the extending of similar gesture to Liberian children by making primary education free and compulsory in all schools across Liberia.
Faith Smith in the letter said, “while we celebrate such a huge relief handed to all Liberians, we are also concerned that our voices since June of this year is yet to be heard by your office”. Ms. Smith claimed that on June 16,2018, during the celebration of the Day of the African Child, Girls Alliance led a group of students to Capitol Hill and presented a petition to the national Legislature through House Speaker Dr. Bhofal Chambers and Senate pro-temp Albert Chie, and the Executive branch through Vice president Chief Jewel Howard Taylor for similar opportunity: A free and compulsory primary education in all schools across Liberia.
She said since then two television Stations, Sky and Power, have consistently run free promos on the request. She noted that the speaker and the president pro-temp have spoken favorable to them on the petition, but they are yet to present it to their various chambers. Faith Smith said the office of the Vice president since June is yet to respond or grant them audience on their petition. We are therefore appealing to you Mr. President to please consider our situation and grant the children of Liberia similar opportunity, she said. We are the future of this country, Faith Smith added.
On June 16,2018, the teenage based group called for the government of Liberia Free and Compulsory primary education for government school launched under the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration to be extended to all schools in the country. Girls Alliance in a petition to the government said it was the surest way of bringing recovery to the education sector. The group argued that relieving their parents of such financial burden will put them in better position to save for their kids’ college education.