By Moses M. Tokpah/Margibi
The Minister of Education, Jarso Marley Jallah, is challenging young Liberian women to not relent or settle for less, especially when it comes to their quest for education.
Minister Jallah serving as the induction officer for the new director of the Kakata Rural Teacher Training Institute (KRTTI) in Kakata on Wednesday, said young Liberian women need to take their education very seriously.
The MOE boss narrated that there is a need for young women in the country to set additional goal even if they have achieved the ones that they previously set.
She warned that young women should not say they’ve arrived, because according to her, the next generation is looking up to them and as such, they must deliver for that generation, noting that whatever path they create right now, they’re creating it for them to come and follow.
She quickly figured out the dean of education at the William V.S. Tubman College at the University of Liberia, Dr. Cecelia Cassell and the principal of Booker T. Washington Institute, Dr. Nancy T. Freeman, as women that have seats at the table. They are women that came to the table with experience, the requisite education, and the competence to deliver.
“So, I want today to stand as an example and evidence that to educate a girl is truly educating a nation.
“And so, we look to our fathers, we look to our uncles, we look to our brothers, and we look to our leaders to see it important to educate our young women we cannot leave half of our population behind” she expressed.
Minister Jallah explained that her presence at the induction ceremony of the KRTTI director was meant to demonstrate to the young girls that when they prepare, opportunity finds them.
According to her, the selection of Madam Sorna Sherif to lead the KRTTI was due to her preparation over the years, and her patience to wait for her time noting that her time has arrived.
In another development, the minister has vowed to transform the Rural Teacher Training Institutes in Liberia, stating that under her administration, there will be a different TTI.
She said the ministry is turning the TTIs outside down to make sure that Liberian teachers, upon graduation, have the capacity and the quality that are needed in the classrooms across the country.
The minister added that the ministry will ensure that the master trainers that are training the future teachers are equipped with new skills and pedagogy to make sure that they are taught rightly and correctly.
She mentioned that they hold seriously the mandate given them by President Joseph Boakai in revitalizing the education system, pointing out that they want to be held accountable by the citizens.
The minister asserted that the citizens need to see, feel, and experience the services they deserve and that the ministry is prepared to offer those services.
She then said the Ministry of Education expects a lot from the Director of KRTTI, Sorna Sherif; but with the lot that is expected, the ministry will provide her the support.
Madam Jallah also lauded international partners such as Peace Corps and other agencies for their support to the work at the TTIs, adding that their efforts cannot be overemphasized.