Monrovia-Students at the J.W. Pearson are decked in blue and white, sitting in their little wooden chairs. Their faces beamed with smile as Bridge Partnership Schools announced the partnership plan in improving the school’s learning condition.
Whether the students’ smiles are based on their understanding of the impact Bridge Partnership Schools will make or perhaps the school materials promised, there are many reasons behind the smile of the impeccably dressed students.
J.W Pearson is located on Carey and Johnson Streets in Monrovia. Recently, the school was in the news when its students were thrown out by the landlady of the building for not settling debts owed her, something the school administrator said has been put under control by the government.
Despite this ordeal, J.W. Pearson is now prepared to become a center of excellence and a champion of girls’ education in Liberia.
The announcement for Bridge Partnership Schools to partner with J.W Pearson comes at a time U.S First Lady, Michelle Obama, touchdown in Liberia in support of girl’s education.
Bridge Partnership Schools Chief Strategy Officer, Shannon May, said the First Lady visit to Liberia in support of girls’ education is a process the government has already begun with the Bridge Partnership Schools program.
“Today the First Lady of the United States of America, Her Excellency Michelle Obama, descends on Liberia to show support for girls’ education,” she said. “It is an effort already begun by the Government of Liberia to bridge the gap in male and female enrollment, and improve the quality of education for our children”.
May continued: “The reports show that at primary level, there is an estimated 1:1 ratio for boys and girls; but as they go forward in school, the ratio drops substantially placing enrollment ratio at 3:1, indicating that to every three males in a class room, there is either one or no female at all. The ratio drops almost to zero as young people proceed through secondary school and to college. These variations do send us a message; that as our girls grow up, the barriers they encounter are inhibiting: early marriage, sexual exploitation and abuse within the school, families and community settings, the resultant effect of which may be teenage pregnancy and other chronic ailments; lack of sanitation at school, all these account for the drop in the male-female enrolment ratio as they move to higher grades in school.”
Ms. May said the government’s move to initiate partnership schools is aimed at bringing global expertise to take the messy educational system to best.
“Recognizing the enormous challenges facing education; and the inhibiting barriers there are to girls’ education, the Government of Liberia has moved to initiate Partnership Schools with the aim to bring global expertise to bear on the intractable issues that haunt our education system,” she added.
She added that the government’s aim is to ensure that as Liberia rebuilds, and moves towards the attainment of a middle income status in the years ahead, girls must not be left behind.
“It is thus incumbent upon us to break the barriers and ensure that as our girls enter school, they do remain in school and become whatever they aspire. The retention of our girls in schools is a national imperative.”
Ms. May added that the responsibility to educate Liberian children falls on every Liberian parent and on all those who seek a better Liberia for the children and generations yet unborn.
“The better Liberia we seek cannot be better if it will not be a place where we create more of “Ellen Johnson Sirleafs”, and more of “Michelle Obamas.”
“Today, Bridge Partnership Schools, as a committed and trusted partner of the Government of Liberia, and an ardent champion of girls’ education around the world, we commemorate Mrs. Obama’s visit with this symbolic event to demonstrate the commitments in our hearts to promote education for all girls in Liberia.
Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor pledged the support of the legislature to the educational reform that Bridge partnership schools is about to initiate.
Senator Taylor urged the students, particularly the girls, to maximize the opportunities the program will provide.
The Bong County Senator promised to lobby to raise the school from 3rd grade to sixth grade.
The Principal of J.W. Pearson School, Denedi Saygbe, thanked Bridge Partnership Schools for selecting her school as one of the schools for the program.
Madam Saygbe said the selection comes when her school is in need of such opportunities, adding that she is more than willing to work with Bridge program.
She welcomed the discussion by Senator Taylor to make the school a full elementary one.
Al-Varney Rogers, FPA STAFF WRITER/ 0886304498