By Grace Q. Bryant
Over the weekend, the NOTRE DAME University-Liberia (NDUL) was launched to showcase strong support to the improvement of education in the Liberian society.
The NDUL said it enjoys multi-cultural identity that aims at developing the uniqueness inherent in each of its students regardless of his/ her race, religion, social class and political affiliation.
NDUL offers courses in Business, Information Technology, Education, Project Management, Interior Design and Languages (French, English, Arabic and Spanish) among others as well as certificate and diploma courses for Corporate Institutions, NGOs , Bank Businesses etc. as well as special programs such as University for Seniors.
Speaking at the program, the president of NDUL, FR. DR. Maroun Zogheib said the intent is to establish an institution that follows an advanced international curriculum with contextual relevance that contribute to building and development quality education within Liberia.
“The NDUL is a private, non- profit, non-sectarian, non- discriminatory institution of higher education created to enhance the academic lives of Liberia’s varied students’ population, providing them with the right academic formation that will enable them to become responsible citizens, productive members of society, agents of positive change and sort after future leaders,” he emphasized.
According to him, the University will be a sustainable model with a positive impact, extending into the local and global community for future generations.
“It is no doubt that there is an urgent need for national and internationally qualified teachers to raise the quality of education in Liberia. Our experience and expertise in the field of global education creates an awareness of the acute need for qualified teachers and education administrators in Liberia,” he noted.
President Zogheib explained that foundational stage of the University commenced with the college of Education, approved by the NCHE and a licensed to NDUL to offer Bachelor’s degree level programs with emphasis on education for an initial two years, since August 19,2020.
President Zogheib further explained that NDUL reapplied to the NCHE for accreditation Status which was granted on December 15, 2022, programs included offering, Information Technology, International Relation & Development Studies, Sciences, Agriculture and Business- related majors.
“The NDUL strategic goal for quality educational provision in Liberia, achieving this, cannot be done isolation from having an international partnership or affirmation through mentoring; thereby partnering with Notre Dame University in Lebanon,” he added.
One of the students of the University, Joshua Smith said the means of enhancing the speed at which Human Capital Development is accelerated globally, the United Nations encourages nations to spend at least 26% of their annual budget on education.
“So what has been allocated for the educational sector in the recently passed annual budget? How much are we investing into education? The Liberian government allocates only 12.43 percent (US$96.71 million) of its budget to the education sector. This amount is grossly insufficient for us to expect an overnight increase in our Human Development Index.” Students Smith noted.
Students Smith further expressed, “Until we as a people should stop sitting like a paralyzed man and take a step to equip our classrooms across the country with qualified teachers, take a step to ensure that our curriculums are not still primitive as they were centuries ago, take a step to equip our laboratories with instruments for practical, take a step to ensure that educational programs across the country are valued just as pageantry events.”
Contrary to Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor’s assertion that the CDC-led government’s boast is in improved education, he emphasized that in 1983, Liberia had a literacy rate of 60% but noted, “One would suppose that within four decades, this number should now be around 70-80%. However, I am bemoaned to bring to your knowledge the disheartening fact that Liberia’s literacy rate has experienced a drastic decrease, and in 2023 sits at 47.5%. With 52.5 percent of the population, which constitutes the majority, are still in the dark cave of illiteracy.”
“We will rise above the narrow confines of underdevelopment, hope that we will awake out of the dreadful slumber of poverty, hope that there will be a daybreak out of the long night of Gender inequality,” he added.
He continued that for the strength of a nation, the value of a city, is determined not by the number of resources beneath its soil, nor the number of skyscrapers that touch its sky, but by the quality of the minds of its people.
The students’ president, Abel Kollie, said NDUL has given students the hope and aspiration of obtaining quality education in Liberia through the provisions of qualified lecturers and professors for the attainment of tertiary education.
“As students council leaders, we have a vision of making NDUL a suitable and welcoming learning environment where students will embrace diversity, unity and enthusiasm to look forward to each school day as well as a voice to bring Change,” he noted.
He revealed, “We have planned to do this through the organization of various social clubs, programs and academic gatherings where students will be able to show case their talents as well as interact freely with their counterparts who help to increase enrollment and also improve academic performances.”
However, at this landmark occasion in the educational sector, there was a conspicuous absence of government officials including the Minister of Education, the Director General of Higher learning in Liberia as well as other key educational stakeholders from the Legislature to include Vice President Taylor.