District Education Officers (DEOs) in Liberia are pushing back against what they perceive as unjust reform efforts within the educational sector and are calling for greater transparency and adherence to established laws.
Led by Edwin M. Darju, DEO of Careysburg and President of the DEOs of Liberia, they have expressed concerns about the Ministry of Education's approach, which they believe is targeting them unfairly.
In an interview on Tuesday, August 27, Darju, representing the DEOs, emphasized the need for President Joseph N. Boakai to intervene and ensure alignment with principles of integrity, moral leadership, and commitment to Liberia's welfare.
The DEOs assert that the Ministry's recent actions appear to be a "witch hunt" and question the deviation from the established educational law, known as the "Reform Act," enacted by the national legislature in 2011.
They stress that compliance with legal procedures, such as vetting by the county school board, is essential, and they question the sudden shift in the reform process.
They argue for a more gradual, process-oriented approach to reform and challenge the Ministry to justify the necessity for the changes, particularly questioning the motivation behind the School Network Team.
Concerns have been raised about the impact of the reform process on the overall educational sector's reputation and governance, with emphasis on the need for non-politicized governance and prioritization of essential facilities in schools.
The DEOs press for respect of their current tenure positions until their expiration next year, advocating for deferment of comprehensive reforms until then to ensure continuity and respect for established processes.
While not opposed to reform, the DEOs insist on transparent, law-abiding processes and have indicated their readiness to resist any actions they believe undermine Liberia's educational sector's integrity and developmental support.
"This reform process is being conducted in a draconian manner, and is dragging the entire educational sector into disrepute," Darju said, warning that politicizing the sector would be detrimental to its governance and public perception.
He said that the DEOs' tenure position, which is set to expire in June, next year, should be respected. "Any comprehensive reform should be deferred until after our terms have ended," he said.
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"Why not wait for our tenures to expire and then reconstitute the district and county school boards?" Darju questioned.
The group also criticized the Ministry's handling of the reform process, calling it a "bad administrative practice." They pointed out that many schools lack basic facilities such as chairs, laboratories, and reading rooms - issues they believe should be prioritized in any genuine reform effort.
Darju expressed concerns that the Ministry's plan to prioritize candidates with education degrees, while potentially valuable, fails to consider the existing workforce that has been vetted and appointed under previous administrations. He also stressed the need for continuity in government and called on the Ministry to respect the tenure of current DEOs.
"We are not opposed to reform," he noted, "but are adamant that it must be conducted transparently and within the bounds of the law."
They are calling on the national legislature to take control of the matter, as they prepare to engage political actors and stakeholders across the country.
"The reform act is very clear; we are in tenure positions, and it should elapse before they carry on their reform, "Darju concluded. "We are not against reform, but with this form and manner, we will resist it to the core."
