The Ministry of Education with support from the World Bank has officially launched a US$47 million project aimed at renovating 156 schools and constructing three more throughout the country.
The project, “Improving Results in Secondary Education,” will also elevate 35 junior high schools to secondary institutions in rural Liberia.
At the official launch over the weekend in the Borough of New Kru Town, Bushrod Island, Education Minister, D. Ansu Sonii, stated that it is the dream of President George Weah to ensure that all Liberian children have access to affordable learning institutions.
Minister Sonii indicated that President Weah wants Liberia to be a literate society where it will never rely on foreign countries for pilots, medical doctors, and people of all professions in a few years from now.
“A child who receives good education, skills, and integrity now, the results are not manifested until after 16 years when the child is in college or becomes a professional person 20 years later,” says the Minister, adding: “This President is interested in youth development and he should be an inspiration for all of you.”
Minister Sonii: “The life story of this President is a lesson for you and there is no point for giving up because not everyone will be at the same level in life.”
Meanwhile, Assistant Education Minister for Planning and Research, Dominic Kweme, explains the project will provide scholarships to 300 graduates to pursue studies in Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Botswana purposely to be deployed in schools throughout Liberia.
Minister Kweme pointed out that the project will also provide scholarships for 3,000 girls in four counties with high rate female secondary school dropouts.
Montserrado County District#16 Representative, Dixon Seboe, appealed to the Ministry of Education to work along with him on his proposal to include technical education at the D. Twe Memorial High School in the Borough of New Kru Town.
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According to Representative Seboe, there are thousands of young people who cannot afford to go through the academic system in education but are prepared to acquire functional skills in readiness for the job market.
The lawmaker discloses that he has already filed a bill before Plenary of the House of Representatives, seeking allotment in the national budget for the institution.
Seboe indicates that he is planning to host a community meeting purposely to encourage residents to take ownership of the project by ensuring that none of the materials provided were stolen.
He appeals to the Ministry of Education to fence the last portion of the campus of the institution to avoid intruders.
Also making remarks, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Willamette Piso Saydee-Tarr, stresses that there is no better way to give power back to the people than giving them education.
According to her, the launch of the project, which includes scholarships for 3,000 girls in difficult areas, is within the mandate of the President’s desire to ensure girls in the country are given the opportunity to develop themselves.
She thanks the Education Ministry and the World Bank for undertaking worthy projects aimed at empowering young people with knowledge for their future.
Deputy Minister for Economic Management at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Augustus Flomo, assures the Ministry of Education of government’s continuous support once the projects are completed.
He calls on other well-established people to assist young people who are striving to prepare themselves academically to take up future national challenges.
Minister Flomo on behalf of Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, lauds the Ministry of Education and the World Bank for the project aimed at improving the educational sector.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/where-the-ministry-of-education-fails/
