President Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf has told graduates of the 93rd Class of the University of Liberia (UL) that it will be difficult for many of them to find jobs. According to President Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia is desperately in need of graduates from the colleges of sciences and engineering.
The Liberian leader stated that Liberia needs professional engineers and scientists that would work in the country's petroleum and mining sectors. She noted that agriculturists and qualified teachers are also lacking within the Liberian society. She made these comments on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 when she served as the convocation speaker at the 93rd graduation exercises of the UL. The graduation exercises were held at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville, outside Monrovia. Over 1000 students from various field of disciplines graduated from the state-owned university.
Although the President did not directly state why many of the UL graduates will find it difficult to find jobs, she observed that many of the graduates do not come from the colleges of sciences and engineering, and henceforth, they could not be employed easily, unlike professional engineers and scientists as well as agriculturists and qualified teachers which Liberia badly needs to work in the country's petroleum, mining and agriculture sectors.
Speaking further, the Liberian leader, who is also the visitor to the UL, emphasized that more agriculturists are needed in order to support government's food security programs. She said the country also needs teachers to improve the quality of education in order to produce what she called "an educated nation" in keeping with the Vision 2030 agenda.
She pointed out that Liberia would only become a middle income country if the adult illiteracy rate is reduced.
According to her, over 41% of adult in Liberia are illiterate. "As I review the list of you, the graduates I foresee some difficulty in finding jobs for many of you graduating today.
We have made our medical, agriculture, and teacher colleges free, but yet our young people do not enter these colleges in sufficient number. Today for whatever reason we have a single doctor, there is one pharmacist who is graduating in a post conflict country that desperately needs engineers, scientists and teachers. 925 of you (graduates) are coming out of the business college compare to 146 graduating from the college of science and technology; 106 from agriculture and 65 from teachers college," the President said.
The President maintained: "We need a revival; we need a rethink and re-orientation because now, more than ever before we need graduates in the sciences to work in our country petroleum and mining sectors. We need agriculturists to support our work in food security and food sovereignty. We can only become a middle income country if we sharply reduce the adult illiteracy rate of over 41%."
While underscoring the need for more investment in tertiary education in post conflict Liberia, the Chief Executive observed that tertiary education plays an 'indispensable role' to Liberia's national development plan. She said broad base development and transformation rest substantially on the development of human skills, and as such, it is the task of every government to educate its people.
She noted that the economic development and accomplishment of Liberia largely depends on investment in tertiary education. President Johnson- Sirleaf said every nation depends on its human capital to move forward in terms of growth and development.
However, the President congratulated the graduates for their accomplishment. She urged them to be fearless in pursuing their goals and utilize the knowledge acquired properly. She further urged the graduates to help contribute positively to the development of the country adding that, "rebuilding Liberia is the collective responsibility of all Liberians."
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Liberian Graduates, the president has told you that jobs will be difficult. This is why 2017 will be very important. As educated Liberians, use your education wisely and vote for a new leader in 2017 who will put the interests of the Liberian people first. Do not elect anyone from Unity Party and do not elect anyone the president appoints to succeed her because the president is corrupt. For example, electing Weah will mean that he will carry on the corrupt legacies of president Sirleaf. Help you people and country by doing the right thing. do be fool by job promises. Start a business and be independent of these so-called leaders.
Making refernce to this statement of the President during the UL 93rd Convocation "We have made our medical, agriculture, and teacher colleges free, but yet our young people do not enter these colleges in sufficient number. Today for whatever reason we have a single doctor, there is one pharmacist who is graduating in a post conflict country that desperately needs engineers, scientists and teachers. 925 of you (graduates) are coming out of the business college compare to 146 graduating from the college of science and technology; 106 from agriculture and 65 from teachers college"
If the government claimed to not know what the reason/reasons is/are for the UL to produce again a single doctor out of 1000 plus graduates then there is a desperate need to investigate and act immediately. I do not think it is ok to only blame the young people of not entering these colleges (Science, Agriculture, Teacher)in sufficient number and ignore the why they are not.
I can say this the revival is a must for both the young people and all of these professional fraternities in Liberia if Liberia will get there. I want to believe as it has always being, the 146 graduates from the College of Science majority might be gradutes of Biology/Zoology that had prepared for medical school. If even all of them apply to enter Diglotti I am 99% sure less than 10% might have the opportunity to enroll at the Liberian only medical school, even the handful that might made it at the interview some will be deny only because they answer no to one of the interview questions that says "Have anyone in your family become a doctor?". The few that might be fortunate to obtained admission will be marginalized, threaten and intimidated by so-called professors from year 1 - years 5/10. In this way for so long, for many years many smart students have being denied the opportunity of accomplishing their medical profession dreams ending up as high school biology teachers in Liberia. This had being the tradition in many sciences in liberia but the worst is the Medical profession. These professional fraternities are even hunting scholars and other students that have being fortunate to escape their terrible nets. They are fighting to do everything to either use policy or an unexpalinable standards to deny students studying abroad to be incorparated. These are many reasons why many students that can't fight these systems end up choosing an option to go on with life. In fact those of us taking the courage to face the system are considered to be taking risk with our life. I am sure most of the graduates yesterday with a degree in biology/zoolofy will forgo medical school for masters in other fields eventhough medical school is free.
In this 21st century, to still be graduating a single doctor within a country with a single medical school with a population of 3.5million plus, far below the WHO doctor to patient ratio is an unexpalinable desaster and worrison as far as the health status of the Liberian people are concern.
Therefore, I want to say to the President of Liberia, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf thank you for this statement "We need a revival; we need a rethink and re-orientation because now, more than ever before we need graduates in the sciences to work in our country petroleum and mining sectors. We need agriculturists to support our work in food security and food sovereignty. We can only become a middle income country if we sharply reduce the adult illiteracy rate of over 41%." but the revival, the re-orientation will be more helpful if these professsional fraternities will be a key target and there is no time left to start now is the time.