OVERVIEW

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, LIBERIA

Education is the key to success, which implies that every nation needs educated people. Moreover, a nation needs well-educated people to meet up with other nations. Liberia is known as the oldest independent nation in Africa. The University of Liberia, formerly Liberia College in 1863, is the oldest learning institution in Africa. People came from all parts of Africa to be schooled during those days in Liberia. But after the 14-year civil war that led to many displaced in neighboring countries, the education system has suffered a loss.  

Most of Liberia’s children, adolescents, and youth are trapped in a cycle of violence, poverty, and deprivation; experience violence, struggle to get educated and find it difficult to find decent employment. Violence against children and adolescents, especially girls, is rampant, including rape, abuse, harassment, and exploitation. In 2015, 89 percent of reported rape survivors were children, with 39 percent 12 years or younger. Sexual harassment in schools in the form of ‘sex for grades’ and ‘sex for school fees’ is common. Violent discipline is also widely accepted, while at least 31 percent of children (2-14 years old) were engaged in some form of labor.

Harmful cultural and traditional practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), are among the worst forms of violence practiced against children in Liberia.

CHALLENGES

The education sector of Liberia faces a complex series of interrelated challenges, mostly related to the rebuilding and recovery from civil war, constrained national finances, and poor infrastructure. There is an increasing demand for education at all levels, particularly for quality livelihood education for young women and men.

Learning outcomes remain below MoE expectations. Pass rates among students taking the West African Examination Certificate (WAEC) Grade 9 and Grade 12 examinations in 2022 were 86.72% and 51.29%, respectively, representing the previous year’s decline. In addition, the reading levels of students in early primary grades are below MoE benchmarks. A literacy assessment conducted in 2014 found that Grade 3 students’ oral reading fluency in English was below 20 correct words per minute, which is significantly lower than the MoE benchmark of 45 correct words. The quality of teaching and learning in all education sectors is a major concern. Some of these challenges are:

• Overage enrolment is a critical issue affecting access to quality education in ECE classes and all primary and secondary grades. Over 74% of ECE students, 82% of primary students, and 85% of secondary school students are over-aged for their grades (EMIS 2015). Each grade enrolls a wide-age range of students. For example, there are more 10-, 11-, and 12-years old students enrolled in Grade 2 than seven-year-olds, which is the correct age group for this grade. Overage enrolment exacerbates drop-out rates, increasing the need for alternative education programming (UNICEF 2012).
• Out-of-school children – There are large numbers of out-of-school children and children who do not attend school regularly. The main reasons for children not accessing basic education are (i) school fees and expenses, (ii) unofficial grade entrance examinations, (iii) distance to school, and (iv) poverty and rural status. Most children with disabilities do not attend school. School fees and indirect costs are the major barriers to access and cause students to drop out.
• Girls and women are underrepresented at all educational levels and in the teaching force. Just 26% of teachers are female. In addition, several recent studies have found a high prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence in Liberian schools.
• While the MoE employs more qualified teachers than ever, many teachers are unqualified. 50% of ECE staff and only 62% of primary school teachers are qualified, and less than 34% of junior and senior high school teachers hold minimum qualifications for their positions (EMIS 2015). In addition, Continuous Professional Development is irregular or non-existent in many areas.
• There are no national school quality standards for basic education schools in Liberia. This makes it difficult for county and district education officers, parents, and community leaders to demand accountability from school principals and teachers.
• Capacity and resourcing at county and district levels require significant improvement, especially in enabling sub-national officers to monitor education quality. A high turnover of staff, a lack of professional training, guidance, and tools, and insufficient resourcing are collectively undermining the effectiveness of County and District education offices – leaving schools, principals, and teachers unsupported and unaccountable.
• There are serious equity challenges facing the education sector in Liberia. There are major inequalities in education access, participation, and learning outcomes by gender, urban-rural status, county of residence, and household socio-economic status. In addition, disparities in the public resourcing of education and training are evident in major differences in key indicators by county and urban-rural statuses, such as pupil-qualified-teacher ratio and student-classroom ratios. Education expenditure at the primary level and the share of the national budget allocated to education are low compared with international benchmarks.

SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS

Many people in Liberia live in poverty. Nearly 70% of the population in Liberia lives on less than $1.90 per day (20 percentage points higher than other developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa). Although Gross National Income per capita in Liberia has nearly doubled since 2003, Liberia continues to have one of the lowest human development indices in the world, ranking 177 out of 188 countries in 2015 (UN Human Development Report 2015).

OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN RATE

Liberia continues to have many out-of-school children. An estimated 15-20% of children between the ages of 6-14 are not enrolled in school (HIES 2014, EMIS 2015). The main reasons for a child not accessing basic education appear to be (i) school fees and expenses, (ii) late enrolment, and (iii) distance to school driven by poverty and rural status (CWIQ 2007, CWIQ 2010, DHS 2013, UNICEF 2012). UNICEF (2012) also notes that low school quality (e.g., few learning materials, low teacher attendance, and the prevalence of corporal punishment) also negatively influence the demand for schooling. Most children with disabilities do not attend school.

In addition, UNICEF (2012) and DHS (2013) suggest that many children are 'at-risk' of dropping out of school. These children may not attend school regularly, are over-age for their grade, or are vulnerable because they come from poor households or households in rural areas or marginalized communities. At least 73% of students drop out between primary and junior high, with another 62% dropping out between junior high and senior high schools. Only an estimated 20% of students enrolled in Grade 1 are expected to enroll in Grade 12.

Female students are more likely to drop out or never attend school in the first place, meaning fewer girls and young women complete basic or secondary education. This is a particular problem in rural areas.

OVERAGE ENROLMENT

The overage enrolment phenomenon significantly influences Liberia's education landscape (Figure 3-1). For example, in 2015,

More than 80% of children are overage in their grades.

Most grade 2 learners are ten or older, even though the policy is that a grade 2 learner should be seven years old.

Over 40% of children enrolled in primary school are age 12 or above age-appropriate private range.

Gender disparity increases greatly with age. Most girls do not have the chance to complete primary education before becoming adolescents.

Nearly 50% of children enrolled in ECE programs (over 250,000) are six or above (EMIS 2015). These children should be enrolled in primary school but in ECE for various reasons. While these children are not technically "out of school,” neither are they enrolled in age-appropriate programs.

The reasons for overage enrolment are thought to include: 1) Entrance examinations at nongovernment and government primary schools, 2) High-grade repetition due to poor academic performance or school fee problems, 3) Late entry into school in early grades, 4) High dropout and re-entry rates caused by poverty, illness, and high rates of teenage pregnancy (illness and high teenage pregnancies (31%, LDHS 2013). Although the average age of overage students is reducing steadily, the impact of the overage and out-of-school issue on quality and access is severe.

QUALITY AND RELEVANCE

Due to these persistent access challenges and capacity constraints, the quality of education in government schools is low, and students do not achieve the intended learning outcomes. Evidence suggests that student learning outcomes are poor. Mean scores from early-grade literacy assessments found that most students are not literate. 35% of grade 2 and 17% of grade 3 students could not read a single word in English (RTI 2008). A literacy assessment conducted in 2014 found that Grade 3 students’ oral reading fluency was below 20 correct words per minute, which is significantly lower than the MoE benchmark of 45 correct words. This has a serious impact on learning in other subject areas and grades. Students who do not have a strong foundation in reading and writing struggle to make meaningful progress in other subjects and perform poorly in examinations (in recent years, Grade 9 and 12 WAEC examination results have declined). Low literacy levels also likely increase the likelihood of grade repetition and dropping out of school entirely. Children of poorer, rural families have lower literacy levels, enforcing a cycle of poverty and lack of opportunity.

GENDER INEQUALITY

High dropout rates mean many girls do not complete basic or secondary education, especially in rural areas. Reasons include poverty, safety, and lack of girl-friendly infrastructure. A long-term impact is fewer female teachers and principals in basic and secondary education. Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a pernicious consequence of inequality and is prevalent in Liberian schools. Though school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) is often assumed to affect only girls, boys and men are also victims. In one study, one in five students – both girls and boys – reported experiencing SGBV from teachers or staff. 18 Concerns about safety, including the risk of SRGBV, are cited by families as a reason that children enroll late and drop out early from school.

In Liberian schools, ‘sex for grades, the rape of students by teachers engaging in transactional sex or threatening students with failure, is too often accepted as commonplace. ‘Sex for grades’ is often represented as a form of bribery, but the relationship of power that a teacher has over a student means that students, even above the age of consent, cannot freely consent or withdraw consent. Pregnancy interrupts the education of many young Liberian women. 38% of young women will have their first child before 18 – a very significant proportion of the school-age population, especially as nearly all students are over-age for the grade in which they are enrolled. Though current policy does not require that girls or women leave or attend night school when pregnant, students are often directed or encouraged to do so while pregnant.

BRIBERY

What is the meaning of bribery? Bribery is the act or practice of taking a bribe. A bribe means a favor given or promised to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust. In the Liberian School System, bribery is considered a thing that is destroying the educational sector, thereby affecting every sector in our country. This disease, called bribery, has become normal in our society because of how our society is structured.

Most teachers in our society these days are asking students for bribes, and if he/she refuses, the teacher will fail that student; based upon this backdrop, most students no longer value their studies. Hence, most of our students are not learning anything because studying is no longer relevant. Research has shown that bribery is found in private and public institutions, which has caused students to fail during the school year and public examinations.

ABUSE OF STUDENT

Most teachers these days are constantly abusing students in class, either physically or mentally. And these things affect the students greatly; these abuses leave some psychological trauma on the students’ minds, which can also contribute to the massive failure of the students. Students should be looked after with love and care and not treated anyhow. So, abusing the students at times makes them develop low self-esteem. Nowadays, in our Liberian School System, teachers can address students anyhow before their colleagues in class. This is one of those factors causing the massive failure of the Liberian School System.

VISION OF MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

A Liberia where:

• Every child can access a nearby school with a quality teacher in every classroom each day who achieves improved learning standards linked to an updated curriculum and assessed at each level.
• Young people can access relevant quality education and training, which improves their livelihood and employability skills.
• Robust, accessible, and efficient mechanisms are in place to hold school principals, teaching staff, county and district education officers, and the boards of education institutions to account for achieving quality standards and improved learning outcomes and relevant skills.

MISSION OF MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

To provide all Liberians with the opportunity to access and complete affordable education of quality and relevance that meets their needs and those of the nation.

Education.pdf