Liberia Records Gains in Girls' Education--but Wash Gaps, Weak Data Systems Still Undermine Progress

3 February 2026
FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia)

Monrovia — Liberia has made notable progress in advancing girls' education, achieving full gender parity in school enrollment and improving junior secondary completion rates, but deep structural challenges continue to threaten sustained gains, according to a new National Policy on Girls' Education (NPGE) Performance Analysis Report, 2021-2025.

The report, prepared by Impact Evaluation for the EducateHER Project, assesses all 21 NPGE indicators using data from the Ministry of Education's Annual School Census (ASC) 2024-2025, alongside population, budget, and sector planning records. The report was developed in collaboration with key MOE divisions and validated through national technical and policy dialogues.

Findings reveal that girls now make up about half of all learners nationwide, with the Gender Parity Index at or above one across all levels, signaling success in expanding access. Junior secondary completion for girls has improved significantly, surpassing national benchmarks under the Education Sector Plan.

However, the report warns that these gains are fragile. Primary completion has declined, with nearly 42 percent of primary school-aged girls failing to complete Grade Six. Late entry and overage enrollment remain widespread, weakening system efficiency and learning outcomes. Net intake into Grade One stands at a critically low 9 percent, far below national targets.

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The analysis identifies unsafe school environments, poor WASH conditions, and limited female teacher representation--especially in rural counties--as major barriers. About 1,790 schools nationwide have no toilets, affecting more than 356,000 students, half of them girls. Counties with the weakest sanitation and lowest female teacher presence also record higher pregnancy vulnerability and sharper enrollment declines.

Data gaps further complicate policy action. The absence of consistent reporting on school-related gender-based violence, promotion, repetition, and safety indicators limits early warning systems and accountability, despite existing codes of conduct and policy commitments.

Despite these constraints, stakeholders endorsed the newly developed NPGE Indicator Scorecard and Dashboard as critical tools for evidence-based planning. The report calls for urgent investments in primary completion, WASH infrastructure, female teacher deployment, strengthened SRGBV reporting, and a unified monitoring and evaluation framework.

As Liberia aligns its education reforms with the ARREST Agenda and the Education Sector Plan 2022-2027, the report concludes that consolidating early gains will be essential to ensure that every girl can not only enroll--but remain safe, learn effectively, and complete secondary education.

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