Defiant schools to face MOE sanctions

Deputy Education Minister for Instructions, Dr. Romelle Horton says, schools conducting graduation or graduating pupils without results of the West African Examination Council or WAEC exams will be penalized.

She said for the best of excellent practices, all schools operating within the confines of Liberia both private and public must adhere to every rule and regulation put forth by the government, stressing that if that were done, it will help to foster the country’s educational system to another level.

Speaking Thursday, August 5, 2016 at the Ministry of Information regular press briefing, held in the Charles Gbayon Conference Hall, Dr. Horton said the quality education being demanded is not for the Ministry of Education or the government, nor any one person in the country, but rather every Liberian, so it should be taken seriously.

The Deputy Minister further emphasized that as citizens of Liberia, if government announces a mandate, and for no reason it is flagrantly violated, it simply signals lack of respect for those in authority.

“We are not only defying our government, but we are also defying the entire system, she noted. She said as a result of pupils not having self-confidence, depending on others for passing marks, and not being able to study for public exams, mass failure has been recorded from the recent WAEC exams administered across the county.

Dr. Horton also stressed that Liberia needs a lot to do in terms of education, for it is something peculiar that needs the involvement of everyone, saying “Education is everyone’s business, not only the government.”

The Deputy Education boss indicated that parents, guardians as well as teachers should be in the forefront to discouraging school children from engaging in academic malpractices and instead, spend more time on their education, adding this kind of mindset will foster growth in the educational system Dr. Horton also revealed that 28 schools actually did excellent in the exams, including Isaac A. David, George E. Smith High School, Levi C. William, Child Development Academy, Pentecostal Lutheran, and Rock International Christian Schools, among others.

She disclosed that during the recent exams, examiners seized a total of 7,800 test questionnaires from students caught in examination malpractice from various schools. However, Dr. Horton lauded female pupils, who she said actually did well in the Sciences, noting that from such indication, it signals that female students are now waking up from sleep to get ready in challenging those core subjects.

By Zee Roberts-Editing by Jonathan Browne