By: Elbie Sebleh
MONROVIA: A recent County Assessment Tour, organized by the Ministry of Education (MoE), through its Minister, Jarso Jallah, has uncovered alarming issues that are severely impacting the country’s educational sector.
Addressing a press conference at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT), Tuesday, July 16, 2024, Minister Jallah disclosed that the tour of fourteen counties in Liberia “revealed a landscape marred by poor infrastructure, severe teacher shortages, high absenteeism rates, and inadequate facilities across schools.”
She stated that one of the most pressing concerns highlighted during the tour was the dire state of school infrastructures.
According to the Education Minister, many schools were found to lack basic amenities such as proper classrooms, desks, and sanitation facilities, severely impacting the learning environment for students.
Moreover, the tour sheds light on the acute shortage of qualified teachers in various regions. With classrooms overcrowded and teacher-student ratios skewed, the quality of education being delivered has been compromised.
According to her, the tour emphasized the urgent need to address this issue to ensure that students receive the quality education they deserve.
Additionally, high rates of absenteeism among both students and teachers were identified as a significant challenge.
The tour revealed that absenteeism was hindering the effective functioning of schools and disrupting the learning process for students. Measures to improve attendance and accountability were deemed essential to address this issue.
She further revealed that inadequate facilities such as libraries, laboratories, and sports facilities were found to be lacking in many schools.
She pointed out that the findings from the County Assessment Tour have underscored the critical need for immediate interventions to revitalize the educational system.
Stakeholders are urged to collaborate closely to address these challenges and work towards creating a conducive learning environment for all students.
