Monrovia — The international human rights organization, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has rated Liberia among the worst-performing education systems globally.
At the launch of its report in Monrovia, Jo Becker, Children's Rights Advocacy Director at HRW, said that between November 2025 and January 2026, the organization visited 21 schools and interviewed 118 parents, teachers, and school administrators across Montserrado, Margibi, Nimba, Bong, and Grand Bassa counties. Liberian child advocates also conducted peer-to-peer interviews with 61 children and youth.
During their visit, a 14-year-old boy told HRW that he left school to help his mother sell goods in the market. He is currently out of school because his parents cannot afford to send him back, though he desperately wants to return.
Becker noted that Liberia has one of the highest out-of-school rates in the world. Roughly one-third of all school-age children (ages 3 to 17), and half of rural children, have never attended school. Only 38 percent of children complete grade 6, and just 17 percent complete grade 9.
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These figures place Liberia among the worst-performing education systems globally and underscore the scale of exclusion children face. On average, a child who enters school at age 4 will complete just 4.2 years of schooling by age 18.
HRW is calling on the Government of Liberia to eliminate registration fees at public primary and junior secondary schools, and to provide these schools with sufficient financial support for their operation and maintenance.
Becker emphasized that the costs associated with attending public schools in Liberia are a major barrier to education, forcing many children to delay enrollment, miss school, or drop out altogether.
She added that for many children, mandatory fees are not just an abstract policy failure, but a daily reality that leads to exclusion from education.
"Liberia has one of the highest out-of-school rates in the world, and only 17 percent of children complete grade 9," Becker said.
HRW further noted that the government should eliminate registration fees at public schools, ensure enough paid and trained teaching staff, construct and rehabilitate schools and classrooms, and provide necessary materials and equipment.
The report, titled "Without Education, There Will Be Nothing: School Fees and Other Barriers to Education in Liberia," noted that free and compulsory education for grades 1 to 9 would provide financial relief for families and help secure children's right to education.
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