MONROVIA, Aug. 7 (LINA) -The Ministry of Education (MOE) has launched a US$47million project to renovate 156 secondary schools across Liberia.
The project, which is supported by the World Bank, will also construct three secondary schools throughout the country.
The project, entitled “Improving Results in Secondary Education,” will also expand 35 junior high schools to secondary institutions in the rural parts of Liberia.
Speaking during the launching ceremony held at the D. Tweh High School Friday in the Borough of New Kru Town, Bushrod Island, Education Minister Dr. Ansu Sonii said it is the dream of President George Weah to ensure that all Liberian children have access to affordable learning institutions.
Minister Sonii noted that President Weah wants Liberia to be a literate society where it will never rely on foreign countries for pilots, medical doctors and other professionals a few years from now.
“A child who receives good education, skills and integrity now, the results are not manifested until after 16 years when the child is in college or becomes a professional person 20 years later,” he added.
According to him, President Weah is interested in youth development and to ensure that Liberian youth are educated to compete with their counterparts around the globe.
« The life story of this president is lesson for you and there is no point for giving up because not everyone will be at the same levels in life,” Minister Sonii stressed.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Education Minister for Planning and Research, Dominic Kweme, said the project will provide scholarships to 300 graduates to attend in Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Botswana purposely to be deployed in schools throughout Liberia.
Minister Kweme explained that the project will also provide scholarships for 3,000 girls in four counties with the high rate female high school dropouts.
For his part, Representative of Electoral District Sixteen in Montserrado County, Dixon Seboe, appealed to the Ministry of Education to work along with him on his proposal to include technical education at the D. Tweh Memorial High School in the Borough of New Kru Town.
Representative Seboe lamented that there are thousands of young people who cannot afford to go through the academic system in education, but are prepared to be trained in skills for the job market.
He disclosed that he has already filed a bill at the plenary of the House of Representatives in order for the necessary allotment to be made in the national budget for the institution.
The Montserrado County lawmaker indicated that he is planning to host a community meeting purposely to encourage residents to take ownership of the project by ensuring that none of the materials is stolen.
He then appealed to the Ministry of Education to consider the fencing of the last portion of the campus of the institution in order to avoid intruders.
