Government says it would invest US$926 million into the public education sector of the country, covering basic level (grade school), technical and vocational education (trade school), and tertiary institution (universities and colleges) for the next 5 years.
Education Minister, Dao Ansu Sonii, made the disclosure when he spoke on the Daybreak Africa Program of the Voice of America (VOA), which was aired last Friday, August 25, stating that the money will be invested in the sector for the next 5 years, beginning from next year.
He believes that the country’s educational system or sector has significantly improved and this is evident in the 2022/23 public examination results where Liberia got a 94.06 pass rate, the highest ever in the country’s educational sector.
But how will the almost US$200 million per year be generated for the next 5 years? Will it come from domestic revenue generation or mobilization, or is it coming from donors or partners’ support? That is not yet known.
However, some of those focus areas where the money could be spent will be the continued fee payment for the country’s candidates for the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE), administered by the West African Examination Council (WAEC), tutorial classes; thereby also covering public universities and colleges, among others.
Others are construction of laboratories and libraries at various public secondary schools, likewise that of the construction of new structures (schools) and perhaps the renovation or upgrading of the old ones around the country, as well as equipping tertiary institutions of higher learning in the country
Such development for the educational section may have come about from the recent data that reveals a notable and significant shift in the quality of education and student performance since 2018. During the former administration, the WASSCE pass rates experienced significant fluctuations.
Because in 2013, the pass rate stood at 71 percent but it dropped to 46.57 percent in 2014, further declining to 40.39 percent in 2016 before showing a modest improvement at 58.55 percent in 2017.
The transformation in Liberian education appears most evident when analyzing the present regime’s tenure, which began in 2018. In 2019, the first year of this administration, the WASSCE pass rate climbed back to 71 percent.
With this, the trend continued with impressive strides, 81.37 percent in 2020 despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, 93.83 percent in 2021, 93.79 percent in 2022, and 94.06 percent in 2023.
But there are several factors that have contributed to this dramatic improvement. First and foremost, is the introduction of “FREE WASSCE,” a program initiated by the present government that waives examination fees for students, thus ensuring access to WASSCE for all eligible students.
Furthermore, the government’s commitment to improving the quality of education is evident through initiatives such as WASSCE tutorials, aimed at better preparing students for the examinations.
Another noteworthy measure has been the government’s decision to employ 2, 800 volunteer teachers and increase the salaries of 3,500 supplementary public school teachers, providing a boost to the education sector.
