Capitol Hill — Montserrado County District #17 Representative Bernard Blue Benson Jr. has expressed concern over the exclusion of volunteer teachers and the lack of focus on digitalization in the government's proposed US$60 million loan agreement with the World Bank for the Liberia Excellence in Learning (EXCEL) Project.

Rep. Benson raised these concerns during a public hearing convened by the House of Representatives' Joint Committee on Education, Public Administration, Judiciary, Banking and Finance, and Ways, Means, and Finance. The session brought together officials from the Ministry of Education and other key stakeholders to review the proposed ratification of the International Development Association (IDA) Credit.

According to Rep. Benson, the inclusion of volunteer teachers and internet connectivity in public schools under the EXCEL Project would help address some of the most pressing challenges in Liberia's education sector.

He underscored the vital role of volunteer teachers, particularly in rural communities where the shortage of qualified educators remains acute. "If volunteer teachers and internet provision are included in the program, it will help solve some of the challenges in the educational sector," he said.

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The lawmaker further stressed the importance of digitalization in improving the quality of education across the country, urging that all public schools be connected to the internet to enhance teaching and learning outcomes.

The proposed IDA credit of US$60 million is expected to leverage an additional US$28.7 million grant from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), bringing the total financing package for the EXCEL Project to US$88.7 million.