-President Weah Reports to Legislators in His State of Nation Address
IPNEWS- Delivering his sixth and final State of Nation Address to the 54th Legislature on Capitol Hill, Monrovia, in this term of his Presidency, President George Manneh Weah disclosed that during the period under review, his Administration spent nearly $38.9 million US dollars on the tuition-free policy; renovation of public universities; WASSCE and Junior High School examinations; the “Support to Closing Teachers Salary Gaps” project; and support to the Engineering College.
The President, speaking on Monday, January 31st, to the Liberian people, through their 103 lawmakers, the President further stated that with the increased domestic revenue generated, series of development programs in roads, electricity, education and health were undertaken.
“The truths of the difficult decisions and courageous corrections we have made during our tenure, concerning the pro-poor investments in education, health, roads and electricity, are out there for all Liberians to see and experience. It is on these truths that we stand, as we continue to face existing challenges to deliver a more prosperous future for all Liberians.”
He further told his audience, including lawmakers, foreign and Liberian diplomats, cheering squads, that sustaining domestic revenue performance is the only way the Liberian Government can guarantee the funding of its public sector investment programs, which will then enable the government to address critical infrastructure and social sector challenges, such as roads, electricity, healthcare, and education. “It is also the only means to diversify the Liberian economy,” he added.
President Weah also told them that in addition to this massive investment in the educational sector, public investment is also focused on key infrastructure investments, such as roads and bridges, and the CLSG transmission line. “Other programs include the upcoming General and Presidential Elections, election-related security, county tour implementation, the At-risk Youth Empowerment Fund, and support to vulnerable small businesses,” he added.
He also reported that his administration continues to take steps to improve aid coordination. “At a Steering Committee Meeting of the PAPD held last year, I emphasized to our Development Partners the importance of coordinating resources in critical sectors such as health, education, and agriculture for more transformative results.”
“Last year we passed 12 out of the 20 indicators on the Millennium Challenge Corporation scorecard. This is the first time Liberia has reached this level of success. These passes show improvements in the overall trend of governance under my Administration. We continue to exert every effort to transform the governance space. However the MCC report does show that we need to pay more attention to quality and effectiveness in health and education. With the increase in domestic revenue that has been engendered by this Administration, we will look to apply these new resources to further develop and enhance the nation’s human capital,” the President reported.
“Education is the cornerstone for our national development agenda and the pathway to a brighter future for our young people. It will empower them to create opportunities for themselves, their communities, and for our country. The development and improvement in Liberia’s human capital has emerged as the biggest generational challenge we face,” the Liberian Leader added.
He also disclosed that his government has endorsed an Education Sector Plan which has been developed by the Ministry of Education in conjunction with his Administration’s development partners. “This Plan,” according to the President, “which will span five years, from 2023 – 2027, summarizes our vision for turning education around in Liberia. I am confident that it will be a powerful tool to mitigate the current challenges in the education system, as it provides a strategic roadmap for the achievement of the key education policy goals of the Government over the next five years.”
President Weah’s Administration is and has spent those millions of dollars in an effort to fix the “messy” educational sector that his predecessor, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, once described.
President Sirleaf had branded Liberia’s education system “a mess” requiring a complete overhaul, after all 25,000 high school students sitting the state-run University of Liberia’s entrance exams failed.
The UL authorities had said the week before that not a single applicant had achieved the minimum grade for admission, highlighting one of the many problems facing the country following years after the end of a devastating civil war.
“The students’ failure did not come from the university, but rather from the schools that prepared them. The result is alarming,” former President Sirleaf had said. “It tells me that the educational system is a mess.”
Speaking further, President Weah disclosed that the Education Sector Plan will require Government to commit more than US$500 million over the next five years. He added: “As Government revenue increases as forecast, my proposal is that we should devote an increasingly larger share of these new revenue streams to this new plan, in order to secure the future of our young people in Liberia.”
However, the success of this Plan will depend not only on the Ministry of Education, but also on the goodwill and commitment of all education stakeholders, government ministries and agencies, and the full participation, contribution and cooperation of all Liberians and foreign residents in Liberia.
“Therefore, I want to encourage all of us to join our collective efforts together in working vigorously to achieve the targets identified in the Education Sector Plan 2023 – 2027 in order to make our education sector better.”
The President also reported his joy that the latest school enrollment data has shown a massive improvement in the gender gap between male and female students in the education system in the country: 49.5% are female, while males constitute 50.5%. “This is quite impressive and represents the fulfillment of a major goal of my Administration, which is to ensure that women have equal access to education as their male counterparts.
“Also, the school data shows that there has been an increase in the number of schools in the country by 20% percent, with teachers numbering more than 60,000 although a significant proportion of them are volunteers. In order to address this situation my Administration has been accelerating efforts in recent years to reduce that number by employing hundreds of volunteers.
“With the various interventions the government has made in the sector aimed at improving access and quality, it comes at no surprise that Liberian students have shown remarkable performance improvements in the WASSCE and WACE exams.”
