J. Ebenezer Daygbor
5 September 2007
Cognizance of national progress being predicated on an educated/enlightened citizenry, has led to the rather recent emphasis placed by the government of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on prioritizing massive enrollment and good deportment of students under the free-but-compulsory scheme in the school system .
In taking this approach, observers are however contending that some norms being propagated for restoration of a semblance of normal day respectability of the learning environment like restricting street sales and use of gorgeous and costly hairdos by children and girls during school hours seem to need some legislation to garner some level of permanence.
Moreover, while these noble objectives would go a long way in bringing back the old days when discipline and wisdom permeated the schools, poor parents and guardians are still confused as to the wherewithal with which they are to use in pushing their children to schools that theoretically free.
But practically fees-based without aggressive monitoring of the school system by the Ministry of Education, which has statutory responsibility to ensure conformity of policy implementation throughout the territorial confines of Liberia.
Though the Ministry has taken some self redeeming steps like conducting a nation-wide educational census and promulgated stiff rules for the schools, to give these actions enforceability, Pres. Johnson Sirleaf has added her approbation thereby sealing them with what appears as the stamp of authority to ban on selling and other engagements by children during school hours.
Executive Mansion Reporter E. Ebenezer Daygbor listened to the president and filed in this report.
The Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has announced that effective as of the new school season, no child will be allowed to sell and that there is going to be a straight restriction on the kind of hair styles to be allowed in school.
While the President did not say that her administration would legislate the new school edict, observers contend that legislation emanating from the National Legislature would be necessary in putting forceful weight on what would otherwise be mere official pronouncement without enforcement tools.
They further maintain that political statements must be sufficiently braced with legal backing lest the administration subtly slides in what amounts to arbitrariness.
Her statement did not end without warning that her administration will drastically deal with any kid caught in the streets selling during school time.
The Liberian President also threatened that children who will not abide by the restriction will be made to pay special penalties; she did not however indicate what constitutes the penalty the kids will pay other than the confiscation of their wares by the police.
She also said that parents of the kids will be invited to the police to settle their penalties as well as to possibly be counseled. But property confiscation is what has been carried out by the police whenever they have attacked sellers on sidewalks and the streets.
These confiscated goods according to marketers, who have faced the wrath of the police, have seldom been returned in their exact quantities to the sellers.
According to some analysts, this new restriction may be another move that will empower the police to further intensify the impoverishment of already poverty stricken people. But what will the parents tell the police when they are invited at the station with their children seen to be the offenders?
Speaking during the presentation of proceeds from the 2007 Walk the World event that was held under the auspices of the Liberia Education Trust (LET) yesterday at the Foreign Ministry, the President pointed out that the future of the state lies in the hands of the children.
Though this is not a new statement in Liberian political pronouncement as past administrations also used similar "platitudes" by calling children as Precious Jewels and so forth without instituting pragmatic and workable programs to improve the status of this segment of the population, observers say this administration need to make a crucial difference as it has shown remarkable interest at least in pronouncements that the education of Liberian children is a key priority of the national program of action for development .
But judging from the forceful tone of the Liberian Leader, when she threatened that the new educational regulation will be fully enforced by law enforcers in order to demonstrate that children education is essential for the future wellbeing of the country, one would think that the Education Ministry would have devised a corresponding penalty since that establishment is the implementing arm of government of the new policy.
The President latest statement seems to have been sparked by an article carried in the August 31st Edition of this paper with the lead article "Dangerous Commercialism," which unearthed the dangers endured by children who sell under precarious conditions on Monrovia's busy streets amongst competitive moving vehicles from multiple directions.
However, one cannot downplay recent comments made by Education Minister, Dr. Joseph Korto, to the effect that the new academic session will see some changes in the way students dress and comport themselves in schools.
He indicated that students, especially girls will henceforth be required to wear ankle-length skirts and refrain from using imported artificial hair or attachments in schools. She said no students will be granted any opportunity to use attachment, waves, or dig-my- backs amongst others fashions that are keeping.
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