IPNEWS-Monrovia: Liberia’s President George Weah expresses dissatisfaction over what he described as Liberian students failure in the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and is calling on the students to take their education seriously for it is the key to their future.
“Students we can’t sit and watch you fail the WASSCE and fall behind our regional counterparts. You have to take the responsibility; you and your parents have to take the advantage of the opportunity that your government is offering you,” stated President Weah.
The President speaking Wednesday, August 24, 2022 at program marking the country’s 175 national Flag Day celebration reminded the students that his government continues to give them opportunities such as the payment of 12 graders WASSCE fees and support for tutorial classes as well as the free tuition policy at all public universities.
Flashback: Liberian students sit the WASSCE exams in Monrovia
These measures the President said are meant to ease the financial burdens on parents and motivate their children. “As we celebrate the 175 national Flag Day, I called on all students to take their education seriously for it is the key to your future.”
President Weah acknowledged the challenges faced in his determination to provide quality education, better facilities, more qualified teachers and better instructional materials to improve the educational system in Liberia. He said by working together these things can be achieved.
He told the students that the value of education in their life is something nobody can take from them. “If you want to be whatever you want to be than place emphasis on getting the education that will enable you to achieve your dream.”
Flashback: Liberian students sit the WASSCE exams
Meanwhile, President Weah officially launched a new educational sector plan to govern the direction the education system takes be it vocational, academic or otherwise for the next five years.
Also speaking, Education Minister D. Ansu Sonii made an astonishing revelation to the President about the number of young people that are out of school, stating that the number of youth out of school are two and the half times more than the ones that are currently pursuing education.
Minister Sonii described the statistics as heart breaking. “This is the kind of bad statistics we get for the number of youth who have drop from school to go on the gold and diamond mines to ride motorbikes; this can beat your heart.”
“Therefore, we must have a strategy to slow this down or put it in reverse so that the young people can take hold of this country. Taking ownership of a country goes with responsibility and responsibility comes with preparedness but only those who are prepare will assume the responsibility in due time,” Minister Sonii intoned. Writes P. Nas Mulbah
