LIBERIA / EDUCATION

6 years after its brutal civil war drew to a close Liberia is struggling to pick up the pieces.

Ghostly shells overlook the capital Monrovia, an ever-present reminder of nearly 14 years of conflict that saw the almost total collapse of infrastructure.

The country’s youth were worst affected, many were killed, many were orphaned and many were recruited as child soldiers, losing childhood forever.

The education system too collapsed as various rebel groups swept through the country often targeting schools for recruits. Almost every child in every classroom has missed out on years of learning and now they’re desperately trying to catch up.

Liberia’s president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Harvard trained economist, is well aware of the importance of education and is trying to undo the years of neglect. Her government has introduced free primary education for all and has tasked the ministry of education with providing it.

Since then, in the last 3 years, student enrollment has increased by almost 50%.
But implementing free universal primary education in Liberia comes with its own challenges.

Ganta, a small town on Liberia’s border with Guinea, was the scene of vicious battles during the war and like Monrovia signs of the conflict are everywhere. Thousands fled the fighting; no one went to school and everyone was affected.

16 years old Atleta Suomie and her family were among them. They fled the fighting in Ganta for the relative safety of Monrovia. Her mother died in childbirth en route and she herself missed out on years of schooling.

SOUNDBITE (English) Atleta, student:
“I was out of school 2002, 2003, 2004. I started school again in 2005.”

Thousands of children here have returned to school since the end of the war, even those who had passed school going age. As a result, the school quickly became overcrowded. Some classes moved outdoors and what few teachers there were, were forced to teach hundred s of students at a time.

So UNICEF through the education pool fund, made up of donations by the Dutch government and the Open Society Institute has been building and rehabilitating schools throughout Liberia.

Here is Ganta, work on a new child-friendly school is progressing steadily and is expected to be completed this month. The design is based on sustainable techniques and on the job training for local builders mean these techniques will enter into the community.

Back at the crowded public school students work their way through the science test.

UNICEF and partners have placed special emphasis on girl’s education, and as result girls now outnumber boys; a contradiction in male dominated West Africa were girls are often forced out of school and into early marriage.

Atleta is flying through the questions despite crowded classes. She’s a disciplined student, works hard and does well.

With a dedicated president, universal access to free primary education, new teachers and new schools, Liberia is on the right track but it still has a long way to go and much more needs to be done before it is able to provide free quality education for all.

It will require huge amounts of time, effort and investment, but there is no other way. It is the only through education that the youth of Liberia will be able to lift themselves out of their poverty to rebuild their country.