ALP Hits at MOE partnership

The opposition All Liberian Party or ALP has urged the Liberian  Government, through the Ministry of Education, to put on hold activities leading to outsourcing education in the country. According to an ALP Statement issued on Thursday, the party described the ministry’s decision as profit-driven motives.

The ALP statement noted that controversies were already brewing among key stakeholders such as civil society groups, as well as the country’s teachers association over the planned action by the government, adding that the ministry has planned to implement a change in the structure of education in Liberia without validation by the country’s stakeholders.

“ALP believes that given the current economic status of the vast majority of the citizenry, such a change will require serious consultations with all stakeholders,” the statement pointed out, admonishing all Liberians to add their voices to the numerous calls for a halt to the “Partnership”, as well as to demand that the Government of Liberia heeds to the advice of informed domestic and international stakeholders.

According to the statement, the ALP considers the Partnership School for Liberia as not only hasty, but also prematurely obligatory to the next regime. The party is quoted as expressing the belief that if the government decided to implement a fundamental change geared towards improving the education system, such change must be done with the cooperation, coordination and acceptance of stakeholders involved in the sector across the country.

“The haste of the government is also worrisome and intended as for-profit motives; Liberia has been characterized by self-interests which led the country to its bitter past,” it added, indicating that the government’s haste in accepting foreign direct investment led to several bogus concession agreements ratified by the Legislature during the last ten years.

However, the statement quoted party Chairman Theodore Momo as saying that the public-private partnership is a valid process in achieving societal objectives and can only be accomplished with the proponent. In  such case, according to the statement, the Government of Liberia must be patient and understand the reluctance of citizens in agreeing to fundamentally alter society without empirical evidence on the efficacy of interventions.

“The people of Liberia do not share the vision of the President and her Minister of Education on this project. Moreover, the Government of Liberia has not done its homework, and it is creating conditions for suspicion and anxiety among a broad spectrum of citizens,” the release quoted the ALP Chairman.

By Ben P. Wesee-Edited by George Barpeen