The National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) has signed an MOU as a giant step towards improving the quality of education in Liberia.
This MOU is a partnership agreement made with two international academic accrediting companies and one virtual international laboratory company.
The MOU signed by the parties will yield massive benefits for students of Liberian universities and secondary schools.
The move will make Liberian institutions renowned and promote them for world ranking, develop and encourage research grants for Liberia institutions as well as make a hub for international education in West Africa.
The institutions are PraxiLabs, The International Academy, Management Association of India, The Accreditation Service for International School, Colleges and Universities based in UK.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at the Ministerial Complex, the Chairperson on National Commission on Higher Education, D. Ansu Sonii, Sr. thanked the companies for expressing interest in working with the education sector in Liberia by providing quality services.
The head of the Accreditation Service for International School, Colleges and University, Dr. Maurice Dimmock, called on education authorities in Liberia to aim high as the move puts Liberian colleges and universities among the top institutions in the world.
The Co-founder of PraxiLabs, Safiya Elbedwihy, outlined the importance of the virtual lab and noted that it will boost and enhance the learning outcome of students particularly, in the sciences.
Since the enactment into law by the National Legislature in 1989, the National Commission on Education said it has been accrediting, regulating, and creating access to higher education and ensuring that programs offered by Universities and Colleges are relevant to the needs of the Liberian society.
Despite all of these enormous contributions, the NCHE said it has not never been possible to have Liberian Universities or Colleges compete globally with their counterparts; therefore, Liberian students usually find it difficult to gain admission in some countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas without attestation from the NCHE even some are required to do remedial courses before direct entry.
Therefore, there had always been a need to go beyond the current situation and create a space where Liberian students can easily enroll in universities worldwide without difficulties.
The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics had been very challenging for most tertiary intuitions in Liberia due to lack of required laboratories which sometimes are costly to set up for institutions in Liberia.
With the coming in this agreement which will ensure collaboration and coordination among various universities and colleges as well as international counterparts, the agreement presents a chance to provide some remedy for the higher education space to address critical academic issues locally and internally.
The president and Founder of the International Academic & Management Association, Dr. Bikash Sharma, expressed joy and happiness in working with Liberian education authorities to provide golden opportunity for Liberian students.
Dr. Sharma also said that he had been working with Liberian and education authorities for the past seven consecutive years by providing international scholarships that had benefited hundreds of Liberians.
He added that this cooperation and MOU will further strengthen and create the enabling environment for Liberia students globally.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has also entered another agreement with community leaderships for the implementation of an Improving Results in Secondary Education (IRISE) Project.
This Project is geared towards the upliftment of the educational sector and is focused on school grant which will be used to support the improvement of the learning environment in 156 senior high schools across the country through school renovation and rehabilitation works on the physical infrastructure, as well as the expansion of two existing secondary schools in two of the 25 educational districts already identified.
The Minister of Education elaborated and further emphasized that the Grant will be implemented through a community-based empowerment approach to ensure not only an effective participation of local authorities and stakeholders but also, that the impact of the intervention triggers growth and sustainability in the local communities.
According to the Minister Sonii, the grant in question will be administered individually by School Management Committees (SMCs) each of which comprises the students as ultimate beneficiaries of the intervention, the school leadership, the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) and the communities where the schools are located.
Minister Sonii expressed heartfelt gratitude to the World Bank Group, and in particular, the International Development Association (IDA) for supporting quality and affordable education to the Liberian Children without discrimination.
The Minister, however, encourages community leaders, parents, school administrators and the student body to take full ownership of the initiative for the benefit of the learning public in the respective locations where they find themselves for transparency and accountability.