Monrovia – Bong County Senator Jewel Howard Taylor has expressed optimism that Government’s Partnership Schools for Liberia Program represents a break from the intractable education challenges facing the country.
Report by Henry Karmo – [email protected]
On a visit to the ongoing Bridge Partnership Teachers Training in Kakata, Margibi County, on Saturday, August 6, 2016, Senator Taylor praised the courage of the over 330 teachers and school administrators who are participating in the training.
The teachers and school administrators are drawn from eight counties where Bridge Partnership Schools will be operating, Montserrado, Grand Bassa, River Cess, Grand Cape Mount, Bomi, Margibi, Bong and Nimba.
“I am delighted that majority of you have closed your ears and your eyes to the politicking around Bridge Partnership Schools, and have taken the bold steps to be part of this new action to improve the quality of learning for our children,” Senator Taylor said.
She praised Bridge authorities for accepting to be part of Government’s ongoing Education reform agenda through the Partnership Schools Initiative. The Former First Lady expressed the hope that partnership schools will succeed, as it begins operations in September 2016.
She noted: “I want this program to succeed so that it can be rolled out to schools throughout the country for every Liberian child to become part of the bold new and renewed effort of the Government to upgrade and improve the quality of learning for all children in Liberia”.
Senator Taylor added “I am an opposition leader, but education is a non-political issue; education is the future of our children; we should not politicize education; we should embrace new proposals and new ideas that seek to move us forward as we look for answers to the education problems we face; Bridge is just but one of the many partners supporting Government through the Ministry of Education to meet this end; we should not be fighting or quarrelling over innovations; we should support innovation to enable us succeed; we should hail this effort; and support all the partners who have accepted the challenge to help us solve this education problem; it is serious, and we must deal with it seriously”.
Shannon May who is Bridge Chief Strategy Officer asserted that her organization was excited to be part of Government’s efforts to create top and better schools which are powerful and trusted places of learning; where every Liberian child will be proud to learn and boast of attaining quality education comparable to children everywhere in the world.
“It is disservice to the children of Liberia and to children anywhere in the world who cannot attain quality education of their liking because of the constraints of their parents; or because of poverty; this is why Bridge accepted the invitation from the Government of Liberia to be part of this new revolution; to make sure that children everywhere in Liberia have access to quality education that sets them on a path to a better life and the future of their dreams,” the Bridge Chief Strategist noted.
Liberia has long been grappling with the decay in the education system; poor infrastructure, inadequate human resources, outdated and sometimes poor learning resources; these are among the many challenges that beset the education system, 13 years since the country emerged from the civil war.
Exam scores have been plummeting since 2010 with the worst results to date in the just released 2015/2016 WAEC Exams. Acknowledging the challenges, and thinking out of the box to come up with innovative solutions, Education Minister George Werner proposed Partnership Schools for Liberia, a public private partnership between the Ministry of Education and numerous school operators who have proven records of improving learning outcomes in even the most difficult places and circumstances.
Bridge International Academies is the first of eight operators partnering with the Government to improve literacy and numeracy for primary students. On September 5, 2016, approximately 25 Bridge Partnership Schools will begin operations.
Bridge Partnership Schools are part of a national movement to dramatically improve education in Liberia.
“The plan is to create powerful public schools which embody the aspirations of the Liberian child: Schools that they can trust, where they have the opportunity to grow and become better and productive citizens,” noted Joe Gbasakollie who is Deputy Country Director for Bridge Partnership Schools Liberia.
Both the teachers and school principals are very excited. Nancy Guladiah one of participants from Montserrado County said the training over the last two weeks has opened her eyes and helped her realize that dramatic learning gains are possible when students are placed at the center of classroom activities. She noted that Bridge training encourages the teacher to engage the children in classroom discussion, which is far better than just having the teacher lecture the whole time.
Another participant Joseph S. Karlon from Gbarnga, Bong County asserted that “students learn by doing, by interacting, by participating; not just sitting for 40 or 45minutes listening to what the teachers knows; student themselves must be involved; this is the model Bridge and the Ministry of Education are promoting and this is the method I have been advocating; this is why we believe our schools and our students will be on their way to the top and become better schools; this is why I accepted to be part of this program”.
September is just weeks away, hopes are now high on the initiative and teachers are already in their gears to begin the new revolution, according to Ben Sanvee, Bridge Director of Corporate Affairs and Public Sector.
Teachers are learning skills in improved classroom management, pedagogical methods and technology enable systems to deliver lessons in real time. 12,000 Liberian children in 23 public primary schools across the eight counties will be covered by Bridge in the ensuing 2015/2016 academic year which begins in September.
