Liberia Free, Compulsory Education Quandary in Rural Areas

Monrovia – Liberia free and compulsory educational is facing a quandary in the face of increment in fee for kindergarten kids.

There are serious concerns by citizens in the country over the $3,500 Liberian Dollars increment pronounced by government as well as reduction in the number of students in some public schools as being recommended by some of the partners contracted to manage the Public Private Partnership (PPP) program.

The Liberian government, through the Ministry of Education had open up a new method of schooling through partners reducing the numbers of students in classroom in an effort to fast-track education by technology.

In rural Liberia, parents are complaining that fee increment for kindergarten students is burdensome and will create difficulties for parents who are unable to afford, while at the same time noting that the reduction of students per class will deny other kids from enrolling in government run institutions.

Milton Varney, District Commissioner of Sanoyea told FrontPageAfrica Monday that several parents do not have the means of sending their children to private institutions as a result the hike in fees at public schools which is the only means for them to educate their children is creating burden.

Commissioner Varney lamented that the move on the part of government to do an increment of L$3,500 Dollars increment as well as reducing the number of students in classroom is intended to deny children in rural Liberia from acquiring education, since they are already used to overcrowdings.

“Maybe government does not want our children go to school. We are unable to handle five dollars and you are speaking of $3,500LD. We appeal to you to reverse your decision because we are getting used to this free education which has not gone far,” Commissioner Varney noted.

 Classrooms of several public institutions in rural Liberia have been overcrowded during the years as a result of limited sitting capacities to host students who are eager to obtain education, despite government mandate of 45 persons per classroom.

But Bong County Chief Education Officer, Edward Kpuly has clarified that the $3,500LD increment for nursery to kindergarten students in public school is aimed at facilitating their stay on campus from 8AM to 4PM.

According to him, much emphasis had not been placed on kindergarten education in the country as a result of limited time in school which greatly affects them.

The Bong County Chief Education Officer said that the amount will help with the provision of toiletries’ among others necessities during their stay on campus. 

Moreover, Mr. Kpulu said Liberia educational sector is faced with serious crisis and if not addressed, will endanger the educational progress of the country’s emerging generation.

He said the crisis is a result of the lasting civil unrest. “There are seven PPP in Bong County, meaning other people around the world who have come to help us in this kind of dilemma we are faced with right now. Liberia educational sector has lost focus on early learning from nursery to grade 6 which must be a priority”.

He named the lack of phonics in the sector which must be reintroduced in building students pronunciation and reading skills. “When you can read well, you will be able to understand and answer questions given to you perfectly”.

Kpulu said there are only two persons who are seriously contributing to educational programs in Bong County, naming Senator Jewel Howard Taylor and Representative Prince Moye.

The Bong County Chief Education Office has warned citizens of the county against mixing politics with education saying there were people who try resisting the name of a prominent son of Sanoyea District, Kerkula Giddings after a semi high school in the county by placing black color paint on said name. “You don’t mixed politics with education because it will be confusing”, he cautioned.

With the breakdown in Liberia’s educational system, Kpulu has outlined plans by the Ministry of education in building the broken system by provision of resource materials including the distribution of textbooks to elementary, junior and senior high students from 2016 and 2017 school years while at the same time providing reading materials for kindergarten students.

Meanwhile Mr. Kpulu named mathematics and science as areas that Liberia’s educational deficiency is concern emphasizing the need for focus to be placed on these two subjects.