Over 6,000 volunteer teachers in public schools

The Government of Liberia has recorded more than 6,000 volunteer teachers in public schools across the country who are yet to be placed on the payroll. 

By: Kruah Thompson 

Monrovia, September 16, 2024 — The Minister of Education, Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, reveals that there are currently over 6,000 volunteer teachers actively contributing to public schools across the country. This includes 1,186 females and 5,006 males.

The announcement follows completion of a comprehensive profiling initiative that cataloged a total of 6,192 volunteer educators, highlighting both the critical role they play and the challenges they face in improving quality of education amid resource constraints.

The Ministry, on August 12, 2024, launched a nationwide volunteer teacher profiling aimed at improving quality of education in public schools. This process involved gathering detailed information about teachers, including names, credentials, subjects taught, and school locations. 

The profiling, which ended on September 12, 2024, confirmed the presence of 6,192 volunteer teachers in the country.

Making the disclosure at MICAT special Press Briefing on Friday, September 13, 2024, in Monrovia, Dr. Jallah revealed that the process, aimed at gathering information on all volunteer teachers and staff in Liberia’s public school system, has concluded. She stated that the team responsible for data collection had informed her that a total of 6,192 teachers have been volunteering their services across the country.

However, she did not comment on whether these volunteers would be added to the government payroll. Many of these teachers face challenges due to inadequate compensation and difficulties in reaching remote areas. Most of them have complained of challenging working environment and lack of government compensation, which has made it difficult for them to carry out their assignments.

While it is not yet clear whether the volunteer teachers will be placed on the government payroll, the Minister of Education stated that the collected data will guide future decisions regarding planning and management.

“All data will be integrated into a single system for better oversight of school personnel.” She noted

In addition, Dr. Cecelia Cassell, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Liberia, President of the Professional Educator Association of Liberia, and Chairman of the vetting committee for Phase II of the initiative, which focuses on skill assessments, announced that they received 412 applications.

According to her, the vetting process adhered to the Education Act of 2011, which requires education officers to have either a master’s degree in education with two years of experience or a bachelor’s degree with five years of experience.

She revealed that the vetting team reviewed all applications and made adjustments based on the applicants’ credentials. Editing by Jonathan Browne