Simeon Freeman laments Liberia’s plight

The political leader of the opposition party Movement for Progressive Change or MPC says failure of the Government of Liberia to adequately respond to issues affecting the citizenry, such as high mortality rate, bad governance, lack of professional teachers in schools, and lack of quality professionals for health care places the country in a poor infrastructure world.

Businessman-turned politician Simeon Freeman says Liberia is in serious comma and needs real medical professionals to health the nation, cautioning that if nothing is done to bring back the value system before the 2017 Presidential and General Elections, Liberia will continue to head on the wrong path.

Addressing a news conference Tuesday, 7 July at his resident in Beverly Hills, BrewervilleTownsahip, Montserrado County, Mr. Freeman stressed that the coming election should mark a beginning for Liberia, stressing that politicians must be held accountable for what they can do for the country rather than to cajole the citizens to elect them in power and do the worst as many Liberians are still experiencing abject poverty.

He said students are failing in national exams due to the lack of trained and qualified teachers, adding that national government should implement policy that would focus on transforming the entire school system.

He observed that about 62 percent the country’s population comprised of people who lack acquire high school education, while a small percent that graduated from high school, are teaching high school students.

Meanwhile, Mr. Freeman has welcomed decision by authorities at the Ministry of Education to close schools across the country by July31, saying, “ I want to pledge my support the newly appointed Minister of Education George Werner and his team for the brilliant idea to close school so as to allow our students achieve better and quality education they deserve to compete with their counterparts around the globe.”

“My position on this matter”, the MPC political leader says, “is I think the Ministry is on the right trajectory in terms of transitioning the educational sector for our children, who are the future leaders of this country; we cannot think about the money that was spent and damage their future; it is better to have quality certificate that can be defended than to have lost and broken brains.”

The Education Ministry has deferred this year’s WEAC exams to 2016, and that 9th and 12th graders must not get promotion until they are adequately prepared. The government has promised to provide textbooks, laboratories, among other learning materials for the next academic year which starts in September.

On the political front, he said the Movement for Progressive Change is not seeking merger, but would collaborate with other parties on the basis of ideas sharing to improve the living condition of the Liberian people. By Lewis S. Teh – Editing by Jonathan Browne