The Ministry of Education is seeking to develop a real-time education data system that will enable authorities to monitor schools, teachers and students and make faster decisions based on accurate and timely information.
The initiative forms part of the Ministry's ongoing effort to develop a comprehensive Education Management Information System (EMIS) Policy, following a two-day stakeholder consultation held September 28-29, 2026, at Musu Spot in Congo Town.
The consultation brought together government officials, education officers, technical staff, development partners and representatives of the African Union and UNICEF with support from the European Union to contribute to the drafting, review and validation of a practical and sustainable EMIS Policy.
At the close of the consultation, Deputy Minister for Administration Atty. Nyekeh Y. Forkpa said the Ministry wants to move beyond the current process of relying largely on periodic data collection and develop a system capable of providing education information in real time.
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Forkpa said the ultimate objective is to establish a central dashboard through which officials at the Ministry's central office can monitor critical information from schools and respond quickly when problems are identified.
He said such a system would provide information on student attendance, teacher attendance and other education indicators, allowing the Ministry to identify challenges and intervene without waiting until the end of an academic year.
"We can no longer be guessing," Forkpa said, stressing that decisions affecting the education sector must be guided by reliable data.
He explained that decisions about where to construct schools should be informed by data showing where the greatest needs exist.
Similarly, he said the deployment of teachers should be based on information showing where teachers are needed and what subjects require additional staffing.
The Deputy Minister cited the need to know whether particular schools require science teachers, English teachers or teachers in other subject areas before making deployment decisions.
According to him, data-driven deployment would help prevent teachers from being assigned to areas where they may not be urgently needed while other schools face shortages.
Forkpa said the Ministry's goal is to have systems at individual schools capable of feeding information into a central platform, where officials can analyze the information and provide recommendations for management decisions.
He said the Ministry wants to reach a point where it can "make real-time decisions" based on real-time information.
The proposed system would build on existing efforts by the Ministry to strengthen education data collection, including the Annual School Census and the Statutory School Record System.
Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development Hon. Thomas Momo Parker said during the opening of the consultation that reliable, timely and high-quality data is essential for education planning, budgeting, monitoring and decision-making.
Parker also highlighted the Ministry's efforts to restore the Annual School Census and strengthen school-level data collection through the Statutory School Record System.
The Ministry said regular census collection has resumed following interruptions after 2021, while statutory school records and record-keeping booklets are being used to support data collection at the school level.
Forkpa acknowledged the work already being done by the Ministry's planning department and technical teams, particularly through the Annual School Census.
He said the process would continue to be refined until the Ministry reaches its long-term objective of obtaining real-time information.
Need for Faster Intervention
Forkpa said real-time information is particularly important because delays in identifying problems in schools can have direct consequences for students.
He gave the example of a situation in which a science teacher fails to report to a school for an extended period but the Ministry does not become aware of the situation until the end of the academic year.
By that time, he said, students could have lost significant classroom learning hours.
The proposed real-time system, he said, would allow the Ministry to identify such challenges earlier and take corrective action.
The envisioned system would therefore not only collect information but also support continuous monitoring, analysis and intervention.
Forkpa said the Ministry wants central officials to be able to see what is happening in schools, analyze the information and make recommendations to the Minister on appropriate interventions.
EMIS Policy to Set Framework
The proposed real-time system is part of a broader policy effort to establish clear rules and responsibilities for Liberia's education data.
Assistant Minister for Planning, Research and Development Hon. Oscar Flomo said the consultation was intended to identify challenges in data collection, reporting, analysis, dissemination and use at the national, county, district and school levels.
He said the EMIS Policy should establish clear standards, roles, responsibilities and processes for collecting, managing, analyzing, sharing, securing and using education data.
Flomo also stressed the need for accurate, timely, accessible, secure and useful education data to support evidence-based planning, policy development, resource allocation, monitoring and accountability.
The policy is expected to improve data quality, accessibility, interoperability, security and coordination across Liberia's education system.
It is also intended to strengthen cooperation among government institutions, education authorities, school administrators, teachers, development partners, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders.
AU Identifies Existing Data Gaps
Representing the African Union Commission and AU-IPED, Mr. Noubatour Adoumtar said an EMIS peer review conducted in Liberia identified several strengths, including dedicated personnel, an established school census and growing demand for evidence-based information.
However, he said the review also identified fragmented data collection, overlapping responsibilities, inconsistent standards and informal data-sharing arrangements.
Adoumtar said the absence of a clear policy had contributed to these challenges and stressed the need for a framework that clarifies responsibilities, establishes common standards, protects privacy, supports data sharing and provides sustainable financing.
He encouraged stakeholders to ensure that the policy is practical, implementable and nationally owned.
According to him, the strengthened EMIS could also help Liberia meet education reporting requirements under the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) 2026-2035 and Sustainable Development Goal 4.
Digital Transition Planned
Abdellah Housseini, Director for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Education, described the proposed EMIS Policy as an important component of Liberia's 2026 "Year of Accountability."
Housseini said accountability depends on accurate and timely data and pointed to limitations in the existing paper-based system.
He called for a transition toward a digitized EMIS that would guide the collection, storage, privacy and use of education data.
The proposed policy is also expected to support a three-year EMIS Action Plan and clarify the responsibilities of schools, county and district offices and government agencies.
Forkpa also disclosed that a study tour is being arranged for some Liberian technicians to gain first-hand experience working with education information systems in other African countries.
He said the practical exposure would allow Liberian technicians to see how such systems operate and interact with users.
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The technicians are expected to return and share the knowledge with colleagues who did not participate in the study tour, helping to strengthen technical capacity within the Ministry.
Forkpa said the African Union's continued technical support would therefore be important as Liberia moves from policy formulation toward implementation.
Ministry Wants Policy to Translate into Action
While appreciating the support from the European Union, African Union and other development partners, Forkpa emphasized that the consultation should ultimately lead to practical implementation.
He said the Ministry wants to move beyond discussions and policy formulation to the actual development of systems capable of producing useful information for decision-making.
The consultation, according to the Ministry, is expected to contribute to a policy that improves data quality, establishes clearer institutional responsibilities, strengthens coordination, protects privacy, supports data sharing and provides a sustainable framework for financing and maintaining the EMIS.
Forkpa said the Ministry would continue to need technical assistance as it develops the capabilities and capacities required to operate the system.
The Ministry of Education also expressed appreciation to the African Union, AU-IPED, IDRC, UNESCO, IICBA, the European Union and other development partners for their support to the EMIS policy process.
He expressed hope that the policy and subsequent education information management system would ultimately improve the Ministry's ability to respond to the needs of schools, teachers and students.
The Ministry's long-term objective, he said, is to have education information available in real time so that decisions affecting Liberia's schools can be made based on evidence rather than assumptions.
"We believe that ultimately the children of Liberia will win," Forkpa said.
