IPNEWS: The Liberian Government, through the Ministry of Education (MoE) with support from the World Bank, has embarked on a state-of-the-art school project in Gbarnga, Bong County worth US$1.5 million.
Giving an overview of the project at the official kickoff, Improving Results in Secondary Education (IRISE) Contract Project Specialist, Lawrence Taylor, said the objective of the huge project is to provide equitable access and improvising the quality of learning in all secondary schools.
The project, according to him, was designed by the World Bank and the Liberian Government in 2019 and has four components in meeting its implementation.
Component one, he said, is to improve access and learning environment at senior secondary schools.
Under the concept, according to him, there will be three senior high schools built in three of Liberia’s 15 political subdivisions, including Margibi, Bong and Nimba counties, based on their population density.
The project, Taylor further stated, also supports the expansion, renovation and rehabilitation of 156 public schools in Liberia at the level of the community.
The IRISE Contract Project Specialist added that the second component of the project is to increase opportunity for girls to transition and to complete secondary school studies (SSS).
“Girls are one disadvantaged group in society, so, the project is offering 3,000 scholarships in core host communities and currently 1,500 have been recruited in the four counties,” he said.
Mr. Taylor also mentioned that additional three counties have been added but did not point out those beneficiary counties.
“We are making sure that guardian counseling will be provided for them where 200 female counselors have been recruited and trained and further deployed to the 156 schools for support and advice,” he said.
Mr. Taylor also stated that the girls will be given “stipend” through their individual mobile money numbers; an arrangement he disclosed has been reached with the Lonestar Cell Company.
Further speaking, Mr. Taylor said, the third component of the project is to improve quality and relevance of infrastructure through provision of instructional materials, including textbook and qualified teachers, to impact knowledge.
He added that currently the project is training 30 teachers in Africa at the Master’s degree level in various sciences, including math and chemistry.
The fourth and final component Mr. Lawrence Taylor observed, is the aspect of adding computer technology to the learning environment so as to modernize the education system of the country through the E-learning program.
“We are moving from traditional learning to computer learning as well. And this project is against gender-based violence, as we all know our President Dr. George Manneh Weah is strongly against the act,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, for her part, Bong County Superintendent, Madam Esther Yamah Walker, pledged the county’s unwavering support to the project implementation, adding that for long time females have been left behind in terms of academic achievement.
“What really touches my heart this morning is the issue of scholarships the project is awarding to the females,” she said.
Madam Walker was also quick to note that her office will not encourage any theft of materials during the construction work.
She further disclosed that the land offered by the Bong County to MOE is 13.5 acres that can accommodate several structures, including teachers’ quarter.
