ABOUT A WEEK ago, the Monrovia Consolidated School System Teacher Association (MCSSTA), pre-warned authorities at MCSS of their intention to go-slow if their financial demands were not met. What did the authorities at the Ministry of Education (MoE), MCSS, Legislature or civil society do to avert the looming threat?
THE MCSS STUDENTS, denied instructions for growing number of days, on Monday, March 24, 2025, staged a peaceful protest in demand of their right to education, to which there was no interest on the part of educational stakeholders in addressing the students concern.
CONSEQUENTLY, THE STUDENTS’ protest grew bigger on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, leading to stone throwing thereby bringing them into direct confrontation with riot police who tear gassed them as a standard of crowd dispersal.
IN THE AFTERMATH, Madam Education Minister described the action of the students to demand their ‘right to education’ as being influenced but forgot the law of effect; If MoE or MCSS had settled with teachers, they wouldn’t had abandoned classes and students wouldn’t had demonstrated. So where did the buck start?
WE UPRIGHTLY REJECT Madam Education Minister’s characterization of the students’ protest as influenced, on grounds that the Ministry waited only to be reactive rather than played a more proactive role to avert the protest.
WITH PENDING REGIONAL examinations for our senior high students, coupled with Count 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which speaks of quality education, governments everywhere (not only in continental America or Europe) are to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all.
BE REMINDED FURTHER Madam Minister, that your appointment was a direct political decision, therefore your actions or inactions will rightfully be brought under political scrutiny as long as you remain in the democratic public sphere.
IN OUR VIEW, the best alternative for the Ministry of Education, rather than blame “politicians” is to apologize to parents for exposing their children in harm’s way for its barefaced failure to settle with the Leadership of the MCSSTA despite been fore-warned of the pending action to stay out of classes.
WE MAINTAIN THAT the show of indifference by the MoE or MCSS to manage “developing crisis” through best alternatives to a negotiated agreement, despite been fore-warned by the MCSSTA should remind true leaders of their humility to accept their flaws and make amends rather than to scapegoat others or ‘pass the buck’.
