….-As VP Taylor Urges Parents, Gov’t To Educate Children Of Liberia
By: Mark B. Dumbar Jr
MONROVIA-Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor has proclaimed that children’s education is vital and that parents and government should educate children in every educational sector of Liberia.
Taylor made the statement Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at the start of a two-day Post-Transformation Education Summit on the National Conference on Education.
The conference which ends today was convened at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in the oldest Congo Town.
According to her, in the last two years, girls have dropped out of school because of a lack of interest, or maybe they do not understand the value of education.
She mentioned that there are many schools in various areas within our country that are beautifully built under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, but those schools are empty stressing, “no teachers, no students for those institutions”.
She furthered that the issues of the social-culture environment have put young children out of school for cultural activities or for farming.
“Do they understand the significance of education that we are talking about here today? She asked a rhetorical question as she spoke.
She mentioned that the first thing Liberians need to do is to talk about why education is important, and that information is needed to be disseminated for every child to understand the significance of education.
According to her, each sector in Liberia needs to understand the message of the importance of education in Liberian society.
“So, that a mother will not take her children and send them to the Sande Bush; or a father takes his son that is the strength of the family and sends him to the farm, she noted”.
She indicated that the children must be allowed to go to school and learn, and not be allowed to become farmers or be sent to Sandal Bush.
She also urged all parents to carry the message of the importance of educating both girls and boys within the educational sector of Liberia.
She noted that “if we must grow and develop this beautiful land of Liberty, the only way is to make sure that every child under our roof has the opportunity to get necessary education”.
According to her, the government should make sure that programs of education for children are addressed within the budget.
“It’s the government’s responsibility to make sure that every child or children have the necessary education, she noted”.
She mentioned that the budget for education in 2023 has decreased and that there will be the smallest numbers if something is not done properly to ensure that the education sector gets its needed fund. She noted, that there “is more to educate a child”.
“I believed that it is the fact that I have the best education that I can even stand to call myself the first female Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, she noted”.
According to her, the National Legislature is clothed with the responsibility to allocate more funding for education.
She mentioned that there are many things in our national budget that need to be cut down to raise one billion dollars over the next five years.
“We cannot ask our international partners that have been engaged in Liberia over the years to raise billion dollars when the Government of Liberia cannot raise just sixty percent, she pointed out”.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.