Claim:1.4-million children enrolled in schools across Liberia
Verdict: False
Full Text: Deputy Education Minister for Administration Latim Da-Thong, says there are 1.4 million children enrolled in schools across Liberia since the inception of Weah’s administration.
According to him, as of 2030, Liberia will have about two million children in school.
Da-Thong stated that the Ministry expects an additional 480 thousand young people into the Liberian education sector in the next eight years.
He spoke during his appearance on OK FM 99.5 on January 25, 2023, in Monrovia.
Liberia’s official primary school entrance age is six years old, while secondary education typically lasts until eighteen.
The academic year runs from September to June.
The Liberia Education Law of 2001 made primary education accessible and required for all pupils. The New Education Reform Act of 2011 made primary education accessible and needed for all Liberians through the ninth grade.
President George Weah named Da-thong as one of the initial appointees on January 26, 2018.
Verification: An investigation by the Stage Media Liberia established that the World Bank puts primary school enrollment at 607,558.
For the academic year 2020–2021, student enrolment at public and private institutions has been incredibly low, according to Felecia Doe Somah, deputy minister for early childhood education.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Education Sector Analysis 2022 shows that the Gross enrollment rate in Liberia currently is 881,131.
Enrollment at the lower primary level decreased by more than 50,000 students from 2015 to 2019/20, while all other levels witnessed slight increases in overall enrollment.
Furthermore, despite the large proportion of over-age students observed across sub-sectors, the alternative education sector remains small, with 13,000 students enrolled in ALPs in 2019/20, representing just over 2 percent of primary enrollment.
Public schools are the most common providers in the pre-primary (44%) and lower basic (44%) levels; nevertheless, they are the majority at the upper basic (27%) and secondary (22%) levels. Furthermore, since 2015, the proportion of kids enrolled in public schools has fallen across all levels, with growing participation in community- and faith-based institutions.
Conclusion: Deputy Minister Dathong’s allegation is untrue, based on the information given above and the study undertaken. There are 1.4 million children in Liberia who are not enrolled in school.
By Anthony Philip
