๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ
September 7, 2025
Release
Monrovia: The Liberian Senate Committee on Education and Public Administration has concluded the first phase of a public hearing to address the country’s education sector challenges.
Chaired by Margibi County Senator Nathaniel F. McGill, the committee invited officials from the Ministry of Education, Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS), and the University of Liberia(UL) to discuss pressing issues.
The invitation of the supra mentioned institutions was based on assessment made by Senators, regarding the readiness of school buildings, policy priorities across basic and secondary education, along with strategies for higher and technical education.
Key concerns raised during the hearing include :
โข University of Liberia Funding: The university’s president, Dr. Layli Maparyan, requested $500,000 to meet demands from the Universityโs Faculty Association, covering back pay for adjunct professors, teaching overloads, and medical insurance for faculty members.
She also highlighted that the institution didn’t receive the allocated $1 million in the 2024 budget.
โข School Infrastructure: MCSS Superintendent Augurine Stevens emphasized the need for renovation of MCSS buildings, stating that only one out of 16 schools she visited was problem-free.
Minister of Education Jarso Jallah reported that 25 out of 150 identified public schools have been renovated, with efforts continuing throughout the academic year.
โข School Feeding Program: The program she added currently covers 13 counties, excluding Grand Kru and Sinoe counties.
The hearing aims to identify solutions to Liberia’s educational challenges, including :
โข Teacher Shortages:
Liberia faces a significant shortage of qualified teachers, especially in the rural areas, the ministry is making stride to ensure qualified teachers are in the classrooms , according to the Education boss.
โข Inadequate Infrastructure: Minister Jallah at the same time mentioned that many schools lack basic facilities, including classrooms, libraries, and laboratories, hindering the learning environment, which she assured, government is exerting all efforts to improve the quality of learning in the sector.
The Senate Committee’s findings and recommendations are expected to inform policy decisions and interventions to improve Liberia’s education sector.
Senator McGill concluded the hearing by indicating that the hearing will continue on September 9, 2025 with a citation to authorities of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) to address most of the financial issues raised.
