School authorities in Liberia risk severe penalties, including revocation of permits, if caught in arbitrarily increasing graduation fees.
By Kruah Thompson
Monrovia, Liberia, August 7, 2024 - The Minister of Education, Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, warns here that any school in Liberia found increasing graduation fees will face severe penalties, including potential revocation of operational permits or even closure.
The warning comes in response to complaints about rising costs and aims to enforce adherence to established fee structures.
According to the Ministry of Education, graduation fees are set at 5,000 Liberian Dollars (LD) for public or government schools and no more than US$100 for private or faith-based schools.
This regulation follows stakeholder consultations on the need to keep education accessible and affordable.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism's regular press briefing on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, Minister Jallah emphasized that schools violating these fee structures would face strict penalties.
The Ministry has initiated a nationwide registration process for all schools, which started on August 1, 2024, and will continue until August 31, 2024. Classes are scheduled to resume on September 2, 2024.
For public schools, registration fees are as follows: Early Childhood at 3,500 LD, Grades 1-6 at 1,000 LD, Grades 7-9 at 2,000 LD, and Grades 10-12 at 3,000 LD. The fees are intended to support the operational needs of schools and ensure a conducive learning environment.
It clarifies that no school fees will be transferred to the Ministry via mobile money payment for government schools.
Additionally, Minister Jallah announced that any assessment or flexibility fees charged during national examinations would be considered a violation of the fee regulations.
"This aligns with the Ministry's commitment to the ARREST agenda, specifically Pillar 3, which focuses on human capacity development and reducing the number of out-of-school children by 40%", she notes, adding that to support this goal, the Ministry will launch a nationwide Enrollment Drive Campaign under the theme "Come Back to Class," starting August 9, 2024.
The campaign will initially target seven counties: Gbarpolu, Bomi, Grand Bassa, Rivercess, River Gee, Grand Gedeh, and Sinoe. Plans are underway to expand the initiative to all counties annually.
Minister Jallah also reveals that there is an upcoming overhaul of the school permitting process, though the current system will remain in place for now. The annual permit fee will be based on the tuition fee charged per student, with the Department of Instruction handling the permitting process under the Deputy Minister of Instruction's leadership.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Furthermore, the National Youth Service Program will convene a technical working group on August 1, 2024, to develop a program to instill in youth the values of service, responsibility, and patriotism.
This initiative is led by the Student Personnel Services under the Assistant Minister for Teachers and Staff, who seeks to provide youths with the skills and opportunities necessary for future success.
Lastly, she reveals that the Ministry will commence a nationwide volunteer teacher and staff profiling. Minister Jallah urges the public to use the Ministry's hotline at #14165 to report any concerns relating to violation of these regulations. Editing by Jonathan Browne
