What continues to be a public discourse in the country is the issue of education. So many times have been huge outcries about this one system.
Dozens of scholarly papers have been published by veteran scholars about how to reform education in Liberia. But what seems to be ambiguous is whether the architects of such a poor sector are the students, education or national government. Liberia as a nation struggling to compete with neighbouring countries has come a long way since her establishment in 1822.
There is no symptom of hope for students in Liberia pursuing education. With all of these dangerous descriptions been attributed towards the system by national leaders, questions linger on the minds of so many citizens.
A. When will the system be qualitative?
B. Who are those to be involved in making the system good?
C. How effective are the laws governing the system?
Before proceeding to inject any other points in such an essay, let me recount a synopsis of this entire educational system. Our education in most recent time has been branded as corrupt, poor, shambles, chance-medley; muddle etc.
The system is a mess on grounds of so many factors. Principally of these factors include sex for grades, bribery and deception, review educational curriculum, lack of competent instructors.
Review Educational Curriculum
Educational curriculum needs to be addressed and be taken into serious consideration so as to be in line with modern realities, especially at secondary and tertiary levels.
Sex for Grades, Bribery and corruption
Are another age old problems that must be eradicated.
There can never be a way forward to improve the system. With this commentary bringing me to the disturbing news in the local dailies can now allow me to inflate on the recent breaking news. Momentum has been high in every nook of the country as over thirty-three thousand students were fully in gear to write the exams on Monday, May 23, 2016.Barely few more hours to the exams was the official voice of WAEC on the news that WAEC has been postponed to June 27, 2016.
Reasons cited for the postponement of WAEC are as followed:
A. Leakage of test on Konola Campus as a result of the center been burglarized
B. It would be an injustice to other students who have been preparing for the tests on one hand, on the other hand students benefitting from its leakage.
Brief History of WAEC
WAEC is an autonomous body that is responsible to conduct examinations for West African countries. The council was established in 1952 with its headquarters in Accra, Ghana. Liberia became the fifth member of the council in 1974 thus joining Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia.
Blunder on the part of the Educational Authorities
If the argument of the cancellation of WAEC is due to the assertion that it was stolen in no way defends WAEC points, Firstly as a reputable body charge with the sole responsibility was to provide tight security for its storage.
Unfortunately, WAEC is now weakly justifying herself by attributing the cause by schools. I have heard WAEC authorities on several local radios specifically the communication officer of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Maximillian Blatten struggling to assert that they are making all necessary efforts to bring the perpetrators to investigation.
Besides; the minister of education George Kronnisayon statement on a local radio on Monday Morning has proven to be hazy. On the Prime Morning Drive, when quizzed about whether there will be an investigation to be launched into the saga, he responded by saying it is expensive .My question then now is it not necessary?
Later on again, Mr. Blatten said investigation will be carried out while on OK FM during Lunch time, what a dramatic irony! WAEC is now been economical with the truth. There are genuine reasons WAEC are hiding to the public prompting them to cancel the exams as opposite to the quote on quote “Test Leakage “Are they not mindful that the public are cognizant that there were massive news reported by ninth graders during their exams this gone week about their numbers.
Can WAEC Reprint the Exams Again
From my perspective as a religious follower of the Liberia education system can enable me not to believe it. According to them they need an amount of USD 70,000 to USD 80,000 to reprint the tests when in fact core issues of security, logistics are not yet address.
This is just a travesty and clever tactic by Wace and the ministry of Education. I am of the belief that the same tests will definitely be administered. Let WAEC and the ministry of Education be made to decode that this is a big disgrace for Liberia again.
Effects of the Postponement on Schools
Liberians at times brand their educators as flippant, irresponsible and so forth. Though it is so harsh, but seems to have iota of truth. The essence of degrees is to bring complete revolution to the system. But this is not the case with Liberians. Students from distances in the hinterlands cum Monrovia have become extremely economically challenged with this news. Thousands of them have to return back homes with little or nothing.
Recommendations
To curtail the consistent leakage of tests, WAEC needs to take serious actions against school authorities for what they termed as flexibility fees
Introduce a stringent monitoring and evaluation programs to fast track all activities few weeks prior to the examinations
3. WAEC as an autonomous institution must go beyond its principal duties of just administering tests but rather having a week or weeks’ workshops for all candidates writing the tests.
4. As an examining body WAEC should penalize all those who shall be involved in aiding and abetting its leakage.
5. Lastly, if WAEC wants to avoid occurrence of such in the country principals, parents, and students must be made to help in reporting any malpractices. WAEC can succeed in preventing the reoccurrence of such malpractice if these recommendations are fully heeded as a means of helping them in the nearby future. And finally, I write.
About The Author:
Mohammed Salue sy is a Liberian by birth. He is currently a student of Economics at the University of Liberia. The author of this article is an emerging writer with over dozens of articles and poems