Fendall, Montserrado – Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor has said that Liberia is in ‘dying need’ of patriotic Liberians, who will do the right thing, no matter what circumstances they are faced.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
“When we go back to the basis of education, I believe over time, we will produce quality citizens who will become our nation’s leaders and truly exhibit the tendency of governance that is so must needed in our society,” Vice President Taylor said Thursday, August 22, at the ground breaking ceremony of the University of Liberia’s printing press in Fendall, Lower Montserrado.
She expressed unhappiness about errors in the governance process of Liberia, placing blame on ‘improper educational institutions.’
“When one looks around in the field of governance across our nation, you see the missteps, mistakes and wrongs. I wonder if the instructors whose hands a relevant person has passed even wonder if they are responsible for that person’s actions.
“It doesn’t matter who you are; if you subject yourself to an educational system, you should be prepared to follow the rules and no one should bend the rule, knowing that they will keep producing the level of this connection that we have.”
These educational institutions, according to the Vice President, must begin to reassess their entire systems, performance and of course action to produce the necessary results and change the students who passed through the walls of institutions of higher learning.
She expressed fear that Liberia may be polluted with ‘criminals,’ years ahead if acts of corruption are not eliminated from institutions of higher learning.
“People pay for grades in some places; girls have sex with teachers in other places and people don’t show up but give some little package to pass,” VP Taylor bemoaned.
She reminded Liberian educators that UL and others similar higher institution of learning were not established on the basis of giving graduates economic advantage, but rather on the basis of developing educated people who will be committed to the cause of building a vibrant, innovative and competitive nation.
VP Taylor said for Liberians to build a strong educational system, those in leadership should no longer continue to find excuses for the ‘new educational paradigm’ of just getting a degree but to beef-up the educational system.
Better still, she wants Liberians to become “unwavering in their zeal” to put in place the structure and ideas for which institution like the UL was established.
“If we must return to the true meaning of education, the educational institutions must re-assess their entire system, reformat and redefine their course of action,” VP Taylor said.
This change, according to her, must be led by the University of Liberia.
The Veep further added that the current breed of students might create ‘future embarrassment’ for Liberia if those in the field of education do not create policies and formulate curriculum that curb the risk of producing a ‘fail generations.’
Also speaking, UL President Dr. Ophelia Inez Weeks said the UL has reached a stage where it can no longer depend on financial allotments from government due to competing priorities it faces.
As a result, Dr. Weeks stated that UL is looking at other ways to help itself financially, in maintaining and sustaining educational activities.
“We feel that a printing press is one of the ways that we can do that. We spend a lot of money for printing and that can be reduced if the printing press is up.”
Apart from reducing its spending in printing, Dr. Weeks further that the printing press, when set up will help in revenue generation for the state-run university.
She said the groundbreaking process of the printing press speaks to the reality of her dream to see UL have its own printing press, as indicated in her inauguration address.
Dr. Weeks also stated that the establishment of the printing press will only become successful if staffs and students take on the initiative of donating at least one dollar towards the project.
The establishment of a printing press falls in line with UL Centennial Commencement ceremony expected to be held in December 2019.
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