-As Schools Are Increasing Fees Without Any Good Learning Environment And Materials.
Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Education Latim Da-Thong has proclaimed that any school that can't justify the fees, cannot also increase fees, because many schools are increasing fees without any good learning environment and well-meaning facilities along with instructional materials.
Da-Thong made the statement following the regular Thursday press briefing at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism on September 22, 2022.
He further noted that government can't regulate private school fees, but the government can regulate private school.
"Our regulatory power has limitation, and that limitation says you cannot tell a private business what to charge", he noted.
He said that since 1847 no government has ever regulated private school fees.
He mentioned that the Ministry of Education has established a task force to check all private schools operating in Liberia to know, if they have the necessary documents and good learning environment.
He further noted that if those private institutions operating in Liberia are giving the necessary learning services to the public and having the rightful documents for operation from Ministry of Education, then those private institutions are allowed to increase their fees.
He noted, that "if you increase your fees write the Ministry of Education why you increase your fees and show those learning facilities that are involved on your campus".
According to him, there were some schools that increase their fees without the necessary requirements from the Ministry of Education, and those schools were visited by the taskforce to lessen their fees.
He said that there were schools that increased their fees with no justification.
He noted, that "when we engaged those schools they told us that they have a new computer lap for learning, so we asked them to open the lap room for checking, but when we entered the room, there was nothing that could identify that yes indeed, it is a computer lap".
According to him, there Ministry of Education is not telling institutions what to charge, but they are telling them that if you increased fees, you should be able to show the Ministry of Education taskforce those facilities that required you to increase fees.
He outlined some institutions that are yet to justify the reason for which their fees have been increased, and those schools are: Seventh Day Adventist High School located Camp Johnson Road, Monrovia Open Bible School located Old Road, and other institutions
According to him, the Ministry of Education has two goals which involved the motivation of teachers across the country and to create national hero of our teacher.
He mentioned that so young people can look at our teachers with the level of reference and be proud that all of us can now put teachers at the same level of some of the most accomplished people in our country that we hope to be like.
According to him, the Ministry of Education through World Bank and other international partners has completed a modern radio station to teach children by radio.
He stated, that "during the COVID 19 pandemic in Liberia, our children were not able to attend classes, and so the Ministry of Education through the Liberia Broadcasting System arranged a teaching by radio program that helped the children across Liberia".
Da-Thong, pointed out that the program has been one of the successful teaching programs in Liberia, which even the New York Time, wrote about it.
He stated, "that Sierra Leone and other African countries invited the Ministry of Education to help guide them in the process, because they saw teaching by radio very important".
"Something that Liberia did that they believed was an innovation in itself", he noted.
He further noted that when the teaching by radio was successful the Ministry of Education went back to the World Bank and other international partners for support.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
He noted, that "we are not hoping that this pandemic will come back again, but we are asking for your support to help us establish a radio station that teaching by radio can continue.
"We want to make teaching by radio permanent in our country, he noted".
According to him, the Ministry of Education has started distributing learning materials to all public schools in Liberia, something that the Ministry hasn't done in many years
He said our goal is just one simple goal which is to improve education at every public school in Liberia because we believe that if we improve quality education, our future generation will be great.
Da-Thong noted that the Ministry has started distributing learning materials to all public and private schools in Liberia.
He mentioned that those learning materials include: National Curriculum, Civics Books, Early Childhood Learning Materials, Learning Kids, Teacher Guide and Teaching Materials.
