BY: SHALLON S. GONLOR / shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
Liberia’s Minister of Education, Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah has pledged her administration’s commitment to take significant steps in upgrading the standard of education in Liberia. She added that the Ministry of Education will make great efforts in reforming the educational system by focusing on the quality of education, teaching and learning methodology, school management, the involvement of parents and transparency.
Speaking Monday at the commissioning ceremony of the modern Senior Secondary School facility in Ganta, Nimba County, Minister Jallah emphasised that the education sector under her administration is working tirelessly to provide quality education and infrastructure in government schools, enabling students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to compete on equal terms with those from private schools.
Dr. Jarso highlighted initiatives aimed at improving the education system, including the establishment of Senior Secondary Schools, and a teachers’ training program all designed to improve the curriculum of government-run schools. Minister Maley said the construction of state-of-the-art Senior Secondary Schools in the country aims to ensure that every child gets a high-quality education — a vision she said is embodied in the ARREST Agenda for inclusive development.
After being under construction for close to a decade, a million state-of-the-art Senior Secondary Schools were on Monday commissioned in Gbarnga, Bong County, and Ganta, Nimba County, and are expected to change the prospects for hundreds of children. The modern two concrete structures include furnished classrooms, science and computer laboratories, administrative offices, gender-sensitive sanitation facilities, a safe water supply, perimeter fencing, and recreational spaces.
Minister Jallah highlighted that the significant investment in the education sector was conceived and initiated by former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and then Vice President Joseph Bokai. She said President Bokai’s administration remains solution-driven and result-oriented, therefore, it is the education sector’s ability to celebrate such achievement.
Minister Jallah stressed that despite challenges that bedeviled the project and the Ministry of Education upon the assumption of office, her leadership at the level of the Ministry of Education embarked on many activities, including the model school project.
“Based on supervision and accountability protocols that my team and I initiated, we brought the project back on course.l,” she stated.
She added: “As a believer, I know there is a special grace in finishing what we started. Anyone can begin a task, but not everyone can see it through. By God’s grace, we persevered and completed key project activities that were once at risk due to weak oversight and accountability. And here we are to commission and celebrate. “Today, we are not just dedicating a school, we are addressing societal challenges and opening doors of opportunity for current and future generations. The lessons we have learned over the past 18 months will continue to inform our decisions for the education sector in the years ahead. This school we’re about to commission today is a model school.”
“And it is the expectation that it would develop a reputation of an entrenched culture of high expectations, continuous academic improvement, strong evidence-based instruction, positive behavior practices, accountability, and strong family and community involvement. Nothing short of these values would be expected of our students, teachers, and administrators.” “Our teachers and students deserve a conducive learning environment and this school provides exactly that domain. Therefore, it is expected that all and secondary privileged to enroll and be employed in our model schools not only exhumed excellence but outstanding work ethic.”
“Because as the saying goes, to whom much is given, much is expected. Ladies and gentlemen, exhuming excellence cannot be overemphasized, especially against the backdrop of the challenges we face as a nation. Permit me to provide a snapshot of our education data to buttress my point upon taking office.” “At all the levels of the system, the quality of our education system is a major concern for which we are working to turn around. Approximately 36% of all our teachers are untrained and do not meet the minimum requirements of teaching starting at “C” certificates. The qualification of teacher ratio is 69 to 1.”
“Quality is also affected by poor teaching methods and tools, which are outdated and not focused on critical thinking and problem solving. This, among other data, is the reason why this administration is unrelenting in our efforts to ensure excellence is pursued and attained in the education sector.” Education Minister Jallah vowed commitment to making significant strides to fulfill pillar six of the government’s ARREST Agenda — focusing on human capital development.
In the coming months, she will unveil additional reforms and initiatives underway at the Ministry of Education will be unveiled. In Nimba County, the USD 1.6 million Senior Secondary School project was implemented by the Ministry of Education which hired Constar Inc. as the contractor to carry out the construction works.
The Ministry of Education, with support from the World Bank’s Improving Results in Secondary Education (IRISE) Project, led the construction of the modern facilities in Gompa City, Nimba County.
The construction of several model schools across the country aligns with a national strategy to strengthen secondary education infrastructure, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The Francis Nya Maweah Model Senior Secondary School was built under Component 1 of the IRISE Project, which focuses on enhancing access and the learning environment at the senior secondary level. The campus features furnished classrooms, science and computer laboratories, administrative offices, gender-sensitive sanitation facilities, a safe water supply, perimeter fencing, and recreational spaces.
The new facility is expected to alleviate pressure on existing institutions and foster a more inclusive and equitable educational environment, with a special focus on increasing girls’ participation. To ensure high standards, both student enrollment and teacher recruitment will be strictly merit-based. Only the best-performing students will be admitted, and instructional staff will comprise highly qualified teachers who have undergone thorough vetting. President Boakai’s dedication of the school in Bong and Nimba Counties underscores his administration’s commitment to human capital development as outlined in the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.
The construction of these modern educational infrastructures highlights the strength of the government’s partnership with the World Bank and their shared vision for a resilient education system in Liberia. The Ministry of Education reaffirms its commitment to providing inclusive, high-quality education to all Liberian students, regardless of location or background.
