Liberia: Ministry of Education Begins the Construction of U.S.$1.5 Million Modern High School in Margibi

Kakata — The Ministry of Education’s Improving Results in Secondary Education (IRISE) Project with funding from the World Bank has turnover ten acres of land to a Liberian-owned JLN incorporated construction firm for the construction of a US$1.5 million state-of-the-act senior secondary school in Kakata.

Giving an overview on the IRISE Project in Liberia at the turning-over ceremony in Kakata on Thursday, October 13, 2022, IRISE’s Project Controls Specialist said the project focuses on improving equitable access to quality secondary education with emphasis on the preparedness of senior secondary students in public schools.

Mr. Lawrence S. Taylor noted that the IRISE Project also focused on improving access and learning environment at senior secondary schools, increasing opportunities for girls to transition and complete senior secondary education aims to address a large number of Liberian girls and young women dropping out of school between grades 9 and 10 and to assist the government in ensuring that young women are transitioning to and complete senior secondary education.

Additionally, Taylor said the project is keen on improving the quality and relevance of secondary education and aims to increase the quality and relevance of senior secondary education and build the Ministry of Education’s capacity to manage the education system in the area of providing the foundation for effective and evidence-based management and decision making.

As part of IRISE’s objective, Mr. Taylor divulged that the project will shortly start offering scholarships to over 3000 girls in counties with the highest female dropout rates at the secondary level and ensuring safer learning environments in senior secondary schools for girls and promoting community engagement to empower girls, schools and communities.

For his part, the Assistant Minister of Planning, Research, and Development at the Ministry of Education disclosed that as part of the project, the first achievement was to ensure that all the existing 156 senior secondary public schools that were left in ruin have been renovated.

Continuing, Assistant Minister Dominic D. N. Kweme added: “Unlike my days in Public secondary schools where girls were embarrassed and uncomfortable to associate themselves with public secondary schools due to their deplorable state, the full renovation and refurbished schools now attract more girls to public schools.”

The Assistant Minister also pointed out that Margibi will also benefit from the expansion of the Worhn Jr secondary to Senior Secondary School. The Project for the expansion is scheduled for 8 months, he added.

Assistant Minister Kweme joining an array of government officials to receive the ten acres from the local Margibi County Administration and subsequently turnover to the contractor, praised the local leadership for the provision of the land.

He added that their action demonstrates their commitment and support to the development of the country, especially the education sector.

Minister Kweme: “The provision of this land was a major criterion for selection. If we wouldn’t have gotten this land, Margibi would have missed out on this project. It is as the result of getting this land that we are here to it turn over to the contractor to begin the construction of this state-of-the-art model senior secondary school for our people. He pointed out that project is expected to be completed in 14 months or less and hopefully can be dedicated within the first term of President Weah”

He at the same time informed the audience that Gibi District in Margibi County will for the first time experience a high school through the elevation of the only Junior high school under the IRISE Project and the site of the Worhn was symbolically turned over to the contractor, the ELETE Group of Company.

Minister Kweme at the same time disclosed that as part of government efforts in improving education in Liberia, similar senior secondary schools will be built in Gbarnga and Ganta in Bong and Nimba Counties, respectively.

He also revealed that the proposed ‘Model School’ is a complex comprised of three (3) Classroom/Academic Buildings to host Classrooms, Administrative Areas, Laboratories and Multi-purpose learning spaces with necessary functional site utilities and external site and recreation facilities.

He clarified that the selection of these cities to construct modern high schools is based on the increasing numbers of their populations.

“The schools, when completed, will create the required access for the growing population of school going children in these cities. It is expected to alleviate the burden of parents who struggle to find other alternative because of the limited classrooms at the existing secondary schools” He disclosed.

Earlier speaking, Margibi County Superintendent Jerry Varnie praised the Government of Liberia for the selection of Margibi County, promising the local Margibi authorities continues support to the Project. The Superintendent offered his administration full commitment to providing necessary security during the project execution period.

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