Gardnersville – Why the George Weah led-government maybe prioritizing road over other sectors of the country, the founder of the Addo-Mills Vocational Institute, Madam Oretha B. Mills, is calling on the government of Liberia to give more support to female vocational education in the country.
Report by Jackson F. Kanneh, [email protected]
Speaking to FrontPageAfrica Monday, October 8, on the campus of the institute in Gardnersville, the Liberian educator urged the current leadership of government to focus on vocational education. She said by doing so, the government will help to empower more out-of-school youths, especially females.
“We are calling on the government of Liberia especially the Office of the Vice President and that of the First Lady to really help vocational schools. We vocational school operators really need help in order to transform the lives of our sisters and daughters, who are not in school,” she noted.
According to her, giving support to vocational institutions whose students are mostly females will go a long way in buttressing government’s Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).
She further stated that Addo-Mills Vocational Institute was opened as a means of getting females out of the street and back into the classroom.
She further stated that since the George Weah-led administration is running a pro-poor agenda, by putting out-of-school girls into various vocational institutions, will only help to promote the PDAP.
“We are running this school in order to get these girls from out there. We want them to do some thing for themselves. It is only fair if this government that was elected by the popular will of the people will support us in that direction,” Madam Mills stated.
The school, which was established in 2005, provides lessons in tailoring, pastry, cosmetology and event decoration, etc.
She urged female students, who are now in classrooms to put more time to their lessons and take pride in themselves.
She also frowned at parents, who sent their little girl children out into the streets to sell; adding: “Being in the streets will not really do anything for them. They need to come to vocational school like ours to learn something and be able to do something for themselves so that tomorrow they cannot be liability in the community,” she stated.