…As it seeks to ensure that teachers are qualified to teach at appropriate levels
By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
The Ministry of Education has launched the national policy center of excellence for teachers’ licensing and school accreditation, which comes as an essential corrective mechanism to address some critical challenges in the sector.
This endeavor is in keeping with the act of 1982 that established the Ministry of Education and the revised education act of 2011, which gives the Ministry of Education the oversight responsibility to ensure the provision of a caring, nurturing, safe, and secure learning environment for all learners.
It is part of the government’s plan to effectuate significant change in the education system of Liberia, which is the bedrock for development into a sustainable and enhanced sector that shifts education by preparing qualified human resources that will attract investments.
The launch of the national policy center of excellence for teachers’ licensing and school accreditation, which took place March 24, 2023, at the Paynesville City Hall with support from the SEAL Project and founded by the EU, Sida, and Irish Aid, providing an overview of the launch, the Deputy Minister for Instruction at the Ministry of Education, Hon. Alexander Doupu, informed that the teachers’ certification and licensing is an essential corrective mechanism to address one of the critical challenges in the sector.
“The National Policy for Teachers’ Licensing and School Accreditation in Liberia sets the procedures for identifying and licensing teachers and the accreditation of institutions. It lays out procedures consistent with existing statutes, ordinances, and laws. It is designed to ensure that teachers in our schools are qualified to teach at the appropriate levels.” He said.
Hon. Doupu stated that the complexities of issues about accountability tend to erode public confidence in the Liberian education system.
He said it is vital to consider teachers’ certification and licensing as a holistic measure incorporating K–12 education to promote a better teaching and learning system.
Moreover, he mentioned that the teachers’ licensing and school accreditation policy was developed to meet the lofty goal as a significant step toward operationalizing the CoE’s work.
Deputy Minister Doupu further provided that teachers’ education is vital, and as such, it is important to formulate policies that guide the teaching profession and as well monitor education institutions.
“Teachers and educational institutions play vital roles in fulfilling this goal; it is essential to formulate relevant policies to guide the teaching profession and monitor the institutions’ operations in keeping with the education laws of Liberia.”
Meanwhile, he revealed that the center of excellence for education administration, accreditation, and certification of teachers was established by the Education Reform Act of 2011 (ERA, 3.5.5) as a semi-autonomous entity reportable to the Department of Instruction, Ministry of Education.
He stated that the functions of the CEEAACT include developing programs and procedures for the teaching profession and the education sector, issuing licenses and policies for teachers and school administrators, and accrediting K-12 institutions operating within Liberia.
Howbeit, at the launch of a policy that seeks to reduce the low performance of students, which can be attributed to poor quality teachers, limited instructional materials, and poor pedagogical skills by individuals in the classrooms, the Senate chair on education, Senator Prince Moye, stated that the policy is a concrete step that is taken to address the challenges and curb recurrence.
At the same time, he pleaded that the policy should not be just another document crafted and placed on the shelf without implementation, asserting that Liberia is noted for crafting policies without implementation.
Senator Moye further asserted that the perception that “policy is good, but Liberia is not ready” has been the root cause for every sector of Liberia to be lacking behind its counterpart in the community of nations.
He urged the ministry of education to ignore this perception and implement the policy by ensuring that every teacher in the classroom is a lesson teacher under the ministry.
“Every teacher must be licensed to enter the classroom, just as nurses and lawyers are licensed after sitting the nursing board and the bar test, respectively.”
For her part, the dean of the teacher college at the University of Liberia, Prof. Cecelia Cassell, admonished the government through the ministry of education to establish the demonstration school.
She said the establishment of the demonstration school will ensure that teachers who are in training get the opportunity to get quality first-hand experience of teaching.
Moreover, she stated that the establishment of the demonstration school will help with the implementation of the policy by ensuring the school is used as a testing center for teacher licensing.
