By: E. Geedahgar Garsuah, Snr.
MONROVIA: Aimed at mitigating the numerous challenges facing Liberia’s education sector, which by all accounts, have served as a major hurdle to the development of the country’s predominately youthful population, President George Manneh Weah has made known his unflinching support for the full implementation of the Education Sector Plan (ESP).
The five-year ESP, designed by the Ministry of Education (MOE), with financial cost, totaling US$500million is geared towards placing more focus on the country’s broken educational system for added value. It is expected to kick-start from 2023 to 2027.
In his statement of endorsement, contained in Weah’s 6th State of the Nation Address (SONA), delivered before the Joint Session of the 54th National Legislature recently, the Liberian Leader pointed out that for Liberia to attain higher height in its national development drive, the quality of the country’s education sector must be improved.
He stressed that this will go a long way in providing better pathways to sustainable future for Liberia’s young generation.
According to President Weah, the acquisition of quality education is a bare-rock upon which Liberia’s future depends.
He emphasized the importance of directing increased financial support to the education sector. He stressed that such initiative will serve as conduit through which the young generation will get empowered.
He said the obtaining of quality education will also help to empower the youthful population of Liberia and create opportunities for themselves, and as well give back to the country and communities.
President Weah asserted: “The development and improvement in Liberia’s human capital has emerged as the biggest generational challenge we face. Education is the cornerstone for our national development agenda and the pathway to a brighter future for our young people. It will empower them to create opportunities for themselves, their communities, and for our country”.
The five-year Education Sector Plan, as announced by President Weah encapsulates (summarizes) the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)-led Administration’s vision and quest to rebrand the country’s education system once referred to as a “mess” by former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of the ex-ruling Unity Party (UP).
President Weah expressed optimism that the Education Sector Plan will serve as a convincing instrument to alleviate the ongoing challenges the sector is faced with.
He heaped praises on the Education Sector Plan as being a platform poised to provide a deliberate pathway for the success of the vital education program for the CDC-led government.
“To this end, I have endorsed an Education Sector Plan which has been developed by the Ministry of Education in conjunction with our development partners. This Plan, which will span five years, from 2023–2027, summarizes our vision for turning education around in Liberia. I am confident that it will be a powerful tool to mitigate the current challenges in the education system, as it provides a strategic roadmap for the achievement of the key education policy goals of the Government over the next five years,” President Weah added.
The President made known his readiness as head of the government to ensure the US$500million over the next five years is directed to fully implement the plan which he expressed sureness of its success.
In an apparent appeal to members of the 54th National Legislature seated in a Joint Session on Monday, January 30, 2023, President Weah calls for the allocation of the US$500million towards the Education Sector Plan aimed at seeing its full implementation which he says will secure a better future of the younger generation through the acquisition of quality education.
President Weah said: “The Education Sector Plan will require Government to commit more than $500 million US dollars over the next five years. As Government revenue increases as forecast, my proposal is that we should devote an increasingly larger share of these new revenue streams to this new plan, in order to secure the future of our young people in Liberia”.
President Weah at the same time emphasized that the success of the Education Sector Plan is not only dependent on the Ministry of Education as he rallied that support of all stakeholders’ hands on deck to ensure the five-year plan with the primary goal of improving Liberia’s education sector from its current “messy” state to a more viable one.
“However, the success of this Plan will depend not only on the Ministry of Education, but also on the goodwill and commitment of all education stakeholders, government ministries and agencies, and the full participation, contribution and cooperation of all Liberians and foreign residents in Liberia.
“Therefore, I want to encourage all of us to join our collective efforts together in working vigorously to achieve the targets identified in the Education Sector Plan 2023–2027 in order to make our education sector better,” Liberia’s Chief Executive stated.
