The Institute for Policy Evaluation and Research (IPER) says it will commence monitoring and investigating Public School Registration fees in Bong and Lofa Counties for the 2023/2024 academic year.

It is part of a one-year project called "Monitoring and Investigating Public School Registration Fees" that is being implemented in Bong and Lofa Counties, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Speaking on Friday at the official launch of the project in Gbarnga, IPER Executive Director Jacob Flomo noted that the Monitoring and Investigating Public School Registration Fees Project aims at providing investigative information about Public School Registration Fees collection and utilization.

Flomo said it is also intended to ensure that communities and students are adequately informed and actively involved in school management decisions through local and national PTA structures by expanding local funds generated from school registration fees.

He noted that the research component of the project will unearth activities and policies surrounding public schools' registration fees and to what extent citizens are informed about those activities and policies in the two counties.

Guest speaking at the occasion, the Executive Director of the Institute for Research and Democratic Development IREDD, Matthais Yeanay underscored Civil Society Organizations as actors that are important to achieving goal #4 of the Social Development Goals which looks at Public Sector Education.

He is admonishing school administrators and parents to work with IPER if the project should achieve its goal.

For their part, representatives of various institutions thanked IPER for the project, and pledged their commitments to work with them for the smooth implementation of the project.

Mr. Josiah Kollie, the Principal of the John Flomo Bakalu High School in Gbarnga, believes that the project will promote effectiveness in the collection and utilization of public-school registration fees.