GoL to Construct 100 Schools and Integrate 2,000 Volunteer Teachers Nationwide

Monrovia, Liberia: As a means of redefining Liberia’s educational landscape, the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Education, has joined forces with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to construct over 100 schools nationwide, an effort that will formally integrate more than 2,000 volunteer teachers into the public payroll.

By: Abraham Sylvester Panto

The initiative that was announced by Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah during the Finance Ministry’s “Deep Dives” session held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, marks a significant push toward both infrastructure expansion and workforce stabilization within the education sector.

Supported by the World Bank’s US$90 million Excellence in Learning in Liberia (EXCEL) project, the initiative is poised to address long-standing disparities in school accessibility and learning resources.

“This is not just about building schools; it’s about building futures,” Dr. Jallah stated. “From modernizing classrooms to incorporating digital learning tools, we are laying the foundation for a more equitable education system.”

The rollout of the EXCEL project includes the establishment of computer labs in 156 public schools under the IRIS Project and the completion of 28 science labs, with 50 more planned under the Public Sector Investment Program (PSIP). These developments come as the Education Ministry accelerates its push to integrate digital infrastructure into rural and underserved schools.

Beyond infrastructure, the focus on teacher integration underscores the administration’s commitment to strengthening the educational workforce.

According to Dr. Jallah, over 2,000 volunteer teachers have been officially transitioned to the government payroll, addressing a critical labor gap that has plagued the sector for years.

“We are not only providing jobs but ensuring that every classroom has a qualified teacher,” she noted.

The government’s education strategy also includes a partnership with the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) to map internet access across schools and pilot a mobile learning application developed by young Liberian tech innovators.

Targeted at helping 2,000 students prepare for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the app represents a leap forward in integrating technology into Liberia’s classrooms.

For his part, Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan hailed the Education Ministry’s progress, emphasizing that the EXCEL project’s dual focus on infrastructure and quality sets a new benchmark for educational reforms.

“Education is the cornerstone of inclusive development,” he said. “We’re not just building structures—we’re building capacity.”

Minister Ngafuan also highlighted the broader implications of the initiative, aligning it with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s national vision of human capital development as the engine of economic transformation.

“If we are truly committed to reducing poverty and promoting equity, then we must invest in our children’s education as a matter of national urgency,” he asserted.

The “Deep Dives” sessions, designed to assess progress across various ministries, underscore the administration’s strategy of aligning developmental goals with measurable outcomes.

Both ministers underscored that the education reforms are integral to achieving the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, a blueprint that places human capital at the core of national advancement.