Liberia’s Education System: A Call for Uniform Standards and Accountability
Liberia’s education system faces a critical question: Is the Ministry of Education effectively regulating the entire sector, or is its focus primarily on government schools while private institutions operate unchecked? The Ministry’s mandate is clear: to establish standards, license schools, ensure teacher quality, monitor learning, publish results, protect students, support school improvement, and enforce consequences for non-compliance. This responsibility extends to all schools, public and private, demanding stewardship of the entire education landscape. While the Ministry nominally licenses all schools and sets standards, the reality is that public schools are subject to greater scrutiny, while many private and faith-based institutions operate with minimal oversight. Some private schools have neglected professional development for teachers for decades, and some consistently produce zero passing scores on national exams yet retain their operating licenses. This situation necessitates a critical evaluation of the licensing process and the implementation of more robust accountability measures.
A recent public discourse highlighted concerns from parents and teachers regarding disparities in quality between public and private schools. Parents noted that private schools often charge higher fees while delivering subpar education, leaving many communities with limited public school options. Private school teachers voiced concerns about the lack of professional development opportunities, low pay, and a general disregard for quality due to weak oversight. While some private schools demonstrably prioritize quality education, many fall short, underscoring the need for a standardized framework to ensure consistent quality across the entire sector.
Progress has been made in reporting WASSCE (West African Senior School Certificate Examination) results, including the crucial metric of students passing at least five subjects including English and Mathematics. This transparency provides parents with essential information for making informed decisions. However, improved information must translate into improved regulations that apply equally to all schools. Historically, school closures in Liberia have been predominantly due to infrastructural issues, with academic performance rarely being a factor. This means that schools can consistently fail students without jeopardizing their license, as long as their buildings and paperwork are in order. This policy needs urgent reform to prioritize student learning outcomes.
A proposed solution involves restructuring the school licensing process. Licenses should be valid for five academic years, subject to annual reviews that assess WASSCE results, teacher training, attendance, safety, and fee compliance. By the fifth year, schools should meet a national minimum pass rate on the WASSCE, with provisions for demonstrating steady improvement for schools starting from a low baseline. This approach safeguards schools serving disadvantaged communities while maintaining a focus on results. Schools with persistently low performance, such as two consecutive years of zero passes in the five-subject standard, should be placed on probation, triggering increased supervision, targeted support, and a mandatory improvement plan. Failure to meet the plan’s milestones would lead to license suspension, ensuring a careful transition for affected students.
To enhance transparency and accountability, school-level WASSCE results should be published annually, ranking schools based on both pass rates and improvement over time, alongside the number of test takers. This empowers parents with clear, unbiased information for school selection. Crucially, schools on probation should receive targeted support, including coaching, curriculum assistance, and access to Ministry-led professional development. High-performing schools can serve as models, sharing best practices with struggling institutions. Sanctions should be implemented only after support is offered and results fail to improve. To address potential biases in using WASSCE as the sole performance indicator, supplemental measures such as student attendance, teacher qualifications, training hours, basic facilities, and feedback from students and parents should be incorporated. These factors offer valuable context for understanding results and facilitating school improvement.
To ensure consistent professional development across the sector, the Ministry of Education should implement a national academic calendar with mandatory professional training days for all schools. These days should be non-negotiable and contribute to teacher licensing and school reaccreditation. Scheduling at least two whole-school professional development days per semester allows families to plan accordingly, ensuring full participation from all teachers and school leaders. The Ministry must lead by example, holding government schools to the same standards it sets for private institutions. Close monitoring and continuous improvement of public schools demonstrate a commitment to uniform quality across the board.
This comprehensive approach offers several benefits. It strengthens accountability by exposing chronic underperformance and highlighting successful schools, informing better policy and resource allocation. Visible results motivate schools to improve teaching quality, curriculum coverage, and student support. Transparency empowers parents with the information they need to make informed choices and question fees that don’t align with results. Public recognition of high-performing and improving schools fosters a culture of excellence and collaboration. Ultimately, this framework aims to establish a single, robust set of standards for all schools, ensuring that licenses hold genuine meaning, parents receive value for their investment, and students benefit from qualified teachers, safe environments, and effective learning. The Ministry of Education’s role should encompass the entire education landscape, not just government schools, ensuring that every school license represents a promise of quality education.
