Sallu Swaray
19 November 2008
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) has ended a one day forum on the official launch of the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) plus Liberia.
Marking remarks at the one-day forum last Friday at Precious Andrews Hall in Sinkor, Deputy Minister of Education for Policy, Research and Planning, Thomas E. Roberts said the exercise emerged from a request to the partners on the need to begin assessing students in Liberian schools so as to determine their level of comprehension of the program.
He said the essence of the request is based on the critical nature of course, as it relates to the entire educational process in the country.
He said USAID, the World Bank and RTI, like others, are part of the partnership, which seek to improve Liberia's educational system.
"It is not a project of USAID or the World Bank or RTI, but a Liberian owned project that came from the government of Liberia through the Ministry of Education."
The exercise is very significant because less than a year ago, this project was requested by the government of Liberia, USAID. The World Bank and the RTI got together and said we are ready to get this EGRA process going in this country."
He has however lauded the initiatives of the partners in helping them achieve the project, noting "it is a good module for a fine program to get started by now in our country."
Also speaking, the education team leader of USAID, Margaret Sacho Morris said the forum echoed the importance of the early grade reading in moving the educational system of Liberia moving.
She expressed the hope that the early grade reading assessment is going to be implemented here in Liberia, and added that USAID was very pleased to partner with the MOE on the venture.
According to her, too much is needed to improve early grade reading because "the agency really understands how important reading is to the children of school going ages."
She said the early grade reading assessment is funded through the initiative of US President George Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, to expand education.
The US president and his wife have been supportive of efforts aimed reshaping Liberia's educational program, with the backing of President. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
The aims and objectives of the EGRA plus Liberia is to assist the government of Liberia in reaching its goal and address illiteracy. The President Bush's initiatives has provided US$1889, 000 in Development Assistance Basic Education to the two year EGRA plus project to measure and improve early grade reading rates.
The Liberian Primary Education Recovery Program calls for Rapid reading assessments at grade 3 level" to give partial diagnosis of problems in reading and language.
Meanwhile, the EGRA was been launched by Education Minister Dr, Joseph Korto at the day-long forum.
Kwaplah Donates US$30,000 Education Material
An American and Liberian owned Procurement Company operating in the country has donated some consignments to the Education Ministry valued over US$30,000.
Kwaplah International's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Sherlock Mahn said the donation was in response to the dire need to support science kits for Liberian children. Mr. Mahn said the 15 years of brutal civil conflict impacted negatively on the education sector.
As such, he said there was need for more support to make the ministry of education more responsibly prepared in impacting knowledge to children and enable them have access to modern technology.
According to him, the 115 science laboratories donated by his institution is just the beginning of the many contributions in store. "We will help the education ministry to get back on its feet because education is the backbone of any developing country," he said.
Besides the donation to the MOE, the Kwaplah boss said the institution has made several contributions in the United States to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Education Trust Fund, adding "the firm's management remains committed to partnering with President Johnson Sirleaf on her education thrust fund."
He said each of the kit costs US$1, 200. Mr. Mahn also indicated that the donation was intended enhance its intention for a close partnership with the Liberian government.
"We all are working for one goal and that goal to see Liberia get back on its foot again," he said.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Deputy Ministers for Administration and Operations, Hawa Goll-Kotchie and Emmanuel Roberts thanked Kwaplah International for their concern and support to the education sector.
They called on other Liberians and companies to learn from the exemplary gestures of Kwaplah International.
He confessed that the ministry needs support in achieving set goals and added that the government has doubled its effort in tackling the challenges ahead.
He further said that science kits will be shared amongst government owned institutions that have the facilities.
"It will be closely monitored by the ministry to make sure nothing ugly happens. We know that those are advance technology and anybody could take advantage of them," he said.
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