By Moses M. Tokpah
/MARGIBI
The Ministry of Education has embarked on a nationwide stakeholder engagement across Liberia’s 15 counties to explain the proposed Excellence In Learning in Liberia (EXCEL) Project.
The Project Development Objective is to improve foundational learning and access in targeted primary schools and to strengthen the education system.
As part of the engagements, a team from the Ministry of Education recently met with representatives of civil society organizations and local educational stakeholders in Kakata, Margibi County to discuss the project in a focused group and the media.
Mr. Joe Gbasakollie, consultant at the ministry and team lead for the nationwide consultation, said his team’s engagement is intended to gather insights on access to education, teaching and learning materials, school safety and gender-based violence, School-Community Relationships, School Management & Accountability, child protection, among others.
According to the team lead, the project has four main components, which include: Access to foundational learning for all, with a focus on Prioritizing Foundational Learning and Developing Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs), Evidence-based Instruction on Foundational Learning, and Accelerated Learning for Overage Children.
The second component has to do with Improving Access for All Through Improving Equitable Access to Primary Education (construction, renovation/rehabilitation), School Grants Program, Back to My Classroom Campaigns, and School Gender-based Violence Prevention Program.
He named the third component as Systems Strengthening to Deliver Foundational learning and improve access while the fourth component constitutes Project Management, Sector Coordination, M&E and Safeguards.
Mr. Gbasakollie said the participants are drilled through first understanding the basics of the project, where summary information is provided.
According to him, the Ministry of Education is expected to implement this US$93.375 million Project over 5 years commencing the last quarter of FY 2025.
He noted that the project is a government-led initiative, supported by the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), to improve early learning and primary education across Liberia.
According to him, the project will focus on improving foundational learning (reading and math skills) for children in KG-2 to Grade 6, increasing access to education, especially for disadvantaged students, and supporting schools and the education system to provide quality learning for all students.
Funding for the project, according to Mr. Gbasakollie, include a GPE System Transformation Grant of US$18.375 million, a GPE Multiplier Grant in the tone of US$15 million, and IDA/World Bank Loan of US$60 million totaling US$93.375 million.
He said all 15 counties are expected to benefit from the project, the direct beneficiaries include 370,000 public ECE & Primary students in 2,337 schools; 6,500 teachers, 2,300 public ECE and Primary school principals/VPIs, 14,000 School management committee (SMC) members, and 75 MoE County Professional Staff.
Gbasakollie highlighted the important roles communities play in helping schools improve, keeping children safe, and ensuring all children get the chance to learn.
He said when communities actively support schools, children learn better, feel safer, and are more likely to complete their education.
He furthered that everyone has a role to play including parents, teachers, school leaders, local leaders, and organizations.
Mr. Gbasakollie concluded by thanking the Senior Management Team of the Ministry of Education under the dynamic leadership of Minister Jarso Maley Jallah for the oversight provided for the EXCEL project.
