Monrovia – As the hike in tuition and other fees at many schools across the country seem to be a problem for many parents and guardians, the Coalition for Transparency and accountability in Education (COTAE) has made several recommendations to government to bring the situation under control.
During a press conference on Friday, September 20, 2019, the National Coordination of COTAE, Anderson Miamen, stressed that it is of grave concern that access to education has become significantly hindered when Liberians are already faced with the challenge of acquiring their basic needs.
“The right to education cannot be over-emphasized, as it is a means by which citizens can improve their intellectual well-being as well as socio-economic conditions and livelihoods. It is guaranteed in both national and international instruments that governments are obligated to provide quality education to their citizens to allow them to ably participate in the development of their countries,” Anderson stressed.
The institution is proposing that the government of Liberia take into careful consideration five key recommendations to help resolve the country’s present state.
COTAE is recommending that the National Legislature, especially the Committees on Education in the Legislature, exercise their oversight responsibilities in independently probing the reported hike in tuition and other related school fees and that the Ministry of Education does more to supervise and regulate the activities of private schools in the country, as mandated by the 2011 New Education Reform Act and other relevant laws and policies.
The organization is also recommending that that private school operators and administrators show their true commitments in helping the government to educate the public, that the Budget for Education be increased to at least 20% of the National Budget to allow schools to receive the required materials and supplies to effectively and efficiently operate. COTAE called on government to take timely and concrete actions in addressing the economic hardship in Liberia, which is undermining parents’ ability to send their children to school, thus undermining the right to education in Liberia.
According to COTAE, government cannot allow private schools to operate at their own will when the decision of many parents to enroll their children into private schools is based on mere preference for private education.