AML High Aces WASSCE All 41 Yekepa Seniors Comes Out Triumphantly

MONROVIA – A perfect WASSCE record in Nimba County says as much about school financing as about student talent. All 41 graduates of ArcelorMittal Liberia High School in Yekepa passed the regional examination. The county education officer says such results made graduation ceremonies possible this year, after widespread failures canceled them last year. The school’s formula is no mystery at all. It hires subject-qualified teachers, follows the revised national curriculum and supplies aligned textbooks. Principal Juwle Kumeh also took aim at “flexibility fees,” informal charges that burden families elsewhere. The lesson for public schools is uncomfortable: results follow steady, visible investment. A company-funded school, however, cannot substitute for a functioning public system, as THE ANALYST reports.

ArcelorMittal Liberia High School in Yekepa, Nimba County, held its 19th graduation ceremony on Friday, October 16, 2026, celebrating 41 senior high school graduates at a colorful and joyous event. All 41 graduates passed this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), earning the school a 100 percent pass rate.

Fully funded by mining giant ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML), the school provides education for the children of hundreds of workers and other residents in and around the Yekepa concession area. It is recognized as one of the country’s best high schools, with high-quality facilities and staff.

Education Officer Hails Results

Speaking during the ceremony, Nimba County Education Officer Francis Leagay thanked ArcelorMittal High School for what he described as the “memorable legacy” it established through its performance in this year’s WASSCE.

 “Results of the WASSCE administered by the West African Examinations Council revealed a 100 percent pass rate for students of ArcelorMittal High School, a remarkable record that places the school at the top of all schools in Nimba County,” he said.

Leagay asserted that the results of AML High School, alongside those of other schools, created the conditions for graduation ceremonies this year. He noted that such ceremonies could not take place last year because of widespread examination failures.

He said the students’ performance reflected their discipline and commitment to studying diligently. Their success, he added, brought pride not only to ArcelorMittal but also to the entire county, as the company cannot be separated from Nimba.

Leagay challenged the graduates not to become complacent after earning their high school certificates, but to persevere and pursue tertiary education.

He also commended ArcelorMittal Liberia’s management and the school administration, stating that the students’ success would not have been possible without their commitment to ensuring quality teaching, and acknowledged parents and guardians for their moral and financial support.

Principal Explains the Formula

Presenting the graduates, AML High School Principal Juwle Kumeh clarified that the school’s success had not been achieved through any surreptitious means. Rather, he attributed it to dedication, AML management’s commitment to quality education, and the effective use of available resources for students’ benefit.

Kumeh challenged school administrators, education authorities and teachers to discourage “flexibility fees” and invest in educational materials that benefit students.

The school employs qualified teachers and uses updated learning materials; according to Kumeh, it recruits teachers with bachelor’s degrees in their respective subjects, follows Liberia’s revised national curriculum and provides textbooks aligned with the WASSCE syllabus.

Charlesetta Peters, Head of the Department of Social Services, acknowledged the teachers’ role in shaping the students.

She emphasized that their contribution was central to the success being celebrated by the students, the company, the school and parents, and disclosed that AML-operated schools will be fully renovated and furnished in the coming budget year. Located in Yekepa, the high school forms part of ArcelorMittal Liberia’s company-supported school system.