Peek into Education

The teacher in me would love to share what I saw and heard about education in Liberia.  Before we traveled to Liberia I was asked to conduct teacher training sessions.  Unfortunately our delay in Senegal canceled the first training, but I was able to work with the teachers at the Randy Godfrey School (RGS) in Camp 4.  This school is located between Redeemer Baptist and the BJO and it is the school the kids from the BJO (and children from Camp 4) attend until they are in high school.  Once they are in high school, the closest  school is the ArcelorMittal High School (AMHS) in Yekepa.  The students at the BJO walk 1 1/2 hours each way to attend high school there.  I asked a student attending this high school when he started his walk.  He said he gets up around 5 am and begins his walk at 6 to be there by 8 am.  He indicated school was over about 1:30 or so.  He then walks home and eats his first (and sometimes only) meal of the day.  There are no after school sports teams.

A visitor during our training

Redeemer Baptist and RGS campus

During the teacher training I heard questions teachers in the US might have asked.  Questions like: "How do I motivate my students?" "How do I know the right work load?" or "How do I plan a good lesson?" But I also heard some differences.  Students at the RGS stand and greet the teacher. (Love that!) Classrooms elect officers (usually based on grades) to help with classroom management.   The teachers wanted to know how to address the problem of students not being engaged because of hunger. Another discussion focused on why public shaming was inappropriate.  But in spite of the differences and the lack of classroom materials, the teachers were genuine in their desire to learn methods to help them teach their students.  They were eager to "Do their work heartily as unto the Lord " (Col 3:23-24)  Each teacher received a notebook, ruler, one red pen, a highlighter, and a calculator.  Two years ago when Bekah helped with report cards, she told us the teachers ALL shared a red pen and a calculator.

The only map of Africa I saw was
in a small school in Yekepa.

Compared to the  US, the classrooms seemed tiny.  Books and materials are in short supply. Each of the three schools I visited had  books stored in a reading room.  Few of the books looked used and many were still wrapped in plastic. Most of the books were sent from the US, but teachers lacked training in how to use them.  Few classroom walls had any bulletin boards or posters to engage students. Sometimes two grades shared the same room. NO lunch is served. Students do not receive report cards if school fees are owed.  AMHS students must supply "12 copybooks, a geometry set and a scientific calculator".  These can be huge expenses for many families on top of school fees.

But probably the most surprising aspect about school in Liberia is that a student MUST PASS to be promoted to the next grade.  Some students have to repeat a grade many times before they are promoted.  It was not uncommon to see a 15 year old in grade 4 or an 11 year old in grade 1. Last year  schools were closed mid-year because of Ebola so students continue to remain behind their peers in other African countries and the world.

Classroom in Yekepa school. Notice
the ceiling.

A RGHS classroom still under
construction.

In 2004 Liberia celebrated a sober occasion.  Fifteen years of intermittent civil war ended.  This period of war undermined the educational system.  Roughly 80% of the nation's 2400 schools closed. An estimated twelve thousand public school teachers had to emigrate or find other work during the war.  Teacher training institutes were destroyed. (Thank you to Samaritan's Purse who helped rebuild the African Bible College University in Yekepa.) Literacy rates dropped to 28% after the war.  Many families had been forced to flee their homes.  Children often fled to other countries to avoid becoming a child soldier.  Students lost years of formal education.

I loved the saying on this chalkboard.
"Win the lost at all cost."

A classroom in a school in Yekepa.
Again, look at the ceiling.

Today the literacy rate in Liberia has risen, but as a country it ranks 188 out of 194 countries world-wide.  The literacy rate is 63% among boys, but 37% among girls.  The national school attendance rates mirror these percentages.  But the attendance rate is about 85% for orphans. Sponsorship helps to keep these children in school.  Sadly, one report I read stated that only 14% of children attend high school. The World Bank statistics reports that 82% of Liberians drop out in the 12th grade. This is most likely due to the standardized West African Examination Council test every student must pass in order to graduate.  These out-of-school youth are less likely to become economically productive and are more likely to need assistance, become teen parents, and commit crimes. Few students ever have a chance at college. 

The teachers outside what will be the new high school
once it is completed. 

While all this information looks a bit overwhelming, there are things that YOU can do.  Sponsor a child at the BJO (thru LCMI).   Sponsor an orphan through The Rafiki Foundation, Christian Aid Ministries or another reputable organization (We met lovely workers from Rafiki and CAM while "stranded" in Senegal).  Sponsor a student at ABCU in Liberia.  They are slated to reopen late August, 2015 and their website has pictures and bios of needy/worthy students.  This is how we met our good friends Remington and Laytopoe. They were both students at ABCU who were blessed to get sponsorship to help with college fees.  Both remain active in their churches and the  community.  By keeping a student in school, you can "touch the future".

This room in the girl's dorm is a multi-
purpose classroom.

I encourage you to act.  The Bible tells us to BE DOERS of the Word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves (James 1:22).  You may not think you have much, but you are blessed.  You have  more than the average Liberian family.  Liberian families have few safety nets.  They constantly pray for God's provision and are incredibly thankful for everything.  I encourage you to pray and seek God's guidance and direction on how you can be a blessing to "the least of these" (Matt. 25:40).

A billboard on the road.  I am always reminded that God
gave us His Word in written form.  It must be
important for us to know how to read. 

- Margaret