The United States Aid for International Development (USAID)-Liberia new Mission Director, John Mark Winfield, says teachers are critical to the developmental agenda of Liberia.

Mr. Winfield said that teachers across Liberia are playing a pivotal role in the development of the country.

Making remarks at the 64th National Convention of the National Teachers Association of Liberia (NTAL) in Kakata, Margibi County, he said rebuilding Liberia was hinged on education and emphasized that trained, qualified teachers are key to the process.

According to a press release issued in Monrovia Wednesday, the USAID Liberia Mission Director said the role of teachers in preparing Liberia's children for leadership should not be taken for granted and called for support to teachers by ensuring they have the means and the enthusiasm to do their jobs.

"Education is not their responsibility alone... teachers need to be supported by government, as well as by their communities, students and parents," he emphasized.

Mr. Winfield then praised teachers for their accomplishment and said the U.S. Government through USAID remains committed to supporting and helping address priorities in the education sector.

Earlier, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said her Government will continue to make education a priority in the country's development agenda. She said Government was working to address the problems facing the education sector, including teachers' salaries and regularizing the payroll listing of teachers.

"We are looking to moving teachers who have been teaching for long from the supplementary payroll", the President said.

She however urged teachers to consider their professional development and challenged the Ministry of Education to take the lead in ensuring teachers were given scholarships to advance themselves.

Since 2006, USAID, through the Liberia Teacher Training Program (LTTP), has worked with the Ministry of Education to prepare a cadre of over 5,000 trained and qualified teachers to support student learning in Liberia's primary schools.

Additionally, USAID, through the LTTP program, is working with classroom teachers in 800 schools across Liberia to make the proficient in Reading and Mathematics.