(Monrovia, Liberia-January 12, 2021) – The Ministry of Education in collaboration with its Grant Agent, the UNICEF launches the distribution exercise of Safe School Health Kits for all Private and Public schools in Liberia. The Safe School Health Kit (Hand Wash Station and Hygiene Materials package also includes copies of Corona Virus (COVID-19) safe guidelines and awareness message posters.
The materials which were made available through the Emergency in Education (EiE) project with funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to support Public Schools and the World Bank-funded IRISE project in support of Private schools are intended to equip schools with the necessary protective gear and accessories that are needed to ensure safe school environment as students return to school amid the COVID-19. The distribution exercise will commence immediately after the launching program today held at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town.
During the program, there were special remarks including the Director-General of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, Hon. Duannah A. Kamara, the Catholic School Secretariat, represented by Father Kabba, The National Teachers Association of Liberia, represented by its president, Mrs. Mary W. M. Nyumah; others consisted the Deputy Minister for Administration – MOE, Honorable Latim Dathong, The Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development, Honorable Alton V. Kesselly, and the Assistant Minister for Basic and Secondary Education, Honorable Felecia Sackey Doe-Sumah.
Many speakers in their remarks thanked partners/donors particularly the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the World Bank for the support to education in Liberia and for providing the needed funding to ensure that schools are safe while students return for the academic year 2020/2021, as well as cautioned students to treat the threats of COVID-19 seriously by adhering to all health protocols prescribed by the health experts. The speeches outlined in many ways that there is yet hope for students to make learning gains amid the challenges COVID-19 poses.
Other speakers included the CEO of the WASH Commission, Amb. Bobby Whitfield, who lost by asking students and all school personnel to continue to wash hands, wear masks and watch their distance, an action he coined as the observance of the “Three “W”s. The Minister of Gender, Honorable Piso Tarr added her voice and pledged her team’s support to the Ministry of Education to join the monitoring of the schools through its regional team and ensuring that the equipment are fully utilized.
On behalf of UNICEF, which serves as the Grant Agent for the Emergency in Education (EiE) Response project, represented by its Country Representative, Ms. Laila O. Gad spoke directly to students and urge them to use the learning environment to maximize their skills and not limit the opportunities to solely learning of academic subject related areas, while commending the students of Liberia that proved their resilient efforts in obtaining better results in WASSCE regardless of challenges.
The official launch statement offered by the Honorable Minister of Education, Professor Ansu Dao Sonii, Sr. Prof Sonii used the occasion to inform the student community and education stakeholders that the current academic calendar 2020/2021 will be extended. He informed that learning time was lost considering that not all schools and students adequately completed the academic year 2019/2020. The Minister added that the Ministry had hope that schools would have reopened on December 1, 2020, but from an assessment conducted, only about 30% of schools started on the date mentioned. This finding prompts the Ministry’s action for the extension of the academic year in progress. A step without which, will short circuit the ministry’s plan to ensure that students successfully complete the prescribed curriculum. He confirmed that the MoE’s team is finalizing a revised academic calendar that will extend to September 3, 2021. He closed on the academic calendar and curriculum topic by disclosing that Civics Education has been officially returned to the classroom in Liberian schools. However, stated that the Ministry is seeking fundings to print the curriculum for dissemination to end-users.
Prof Sonii also informed the audience about the Ministry’s plan to return sports to Secondary schools, citing that the World Football Governing Body, FIFA, has expressed interest in supporting the Ministry of Education through the Government of Liberia. He thanked the UNICEF representative, Ms. Gad, for their role as Grant Agent. He thanked his team of Ministers who have supported the ministry’s vision through the last three years and onward. In closing, the Minister expressed gratitude to the President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency, George M. Weah for the confidence posed in his team at the Ministry of Education. Highlighting that the actions of appointed officials remain a reflection of the President’s showings, hence, he asked that actions be reflective of the vision of the President who has provided a platform for each office to be listed in the history of Liberia based on performance.
Launching the occasion, Honorable Whilemina Jallah, thanked the Ministry of Education’s team and education stakeholders for the efforts to provide a safe school environment for students and school support staff, while emphasizing that COVID-19 is real and exists in Liberia. She outlined the proper way to wear a mask and pleaded that all should adhere to the health protocols shared by the Ministry of health and partners.
She commented on a claim by a speaker of the availability of COVID-19 vaccines coming into the country. She informed that efforts are in place but there are no stated dates or the quantity of vaccines expected in the Country. She added that the Ministry of Health will officially inform the public of such development at the right time. She thanked the team at the joint Infectious Control Unit at the MoH for their due-diligence ensuring that the system was ready upon students’ return. For the official launching of the distribution of the Hand Wash Station and hygiene materials, the Honorable Minister Jallah and Professor Sonii, Sr. guided the audience to view the materials displayed outside the compound of the Ministerial Complex.
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For inquiry, contact the MoE via contact@moe.gov.lr
