STAND Condemns Police Tear Gassing Students -Warns That Teachers’ Plight Is a ‘Ticking Time Bomb’

MONROVIA – Solidarity & Trust for a New Day (STAND), a leading civil society organization in Liberia, strongly condemns the Liberia National Police’s reckless tear-gassing of peaceful student protesters from the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS). The protest, triggered by the government’s failure to pay public school teachers and the deplorable state of the education system, reportedly resulted in injuries among students—an unacceptable outcome that could have been avoided through constructive dialogue. 

STAND, a press release issued on Tuesday, March 25, asserts that the students’ decision to peacefully take to the streets was justified, given the government’s glaring neglect of their education. This should serve as a warning to the administration, who instead of prioritizing the needs of Liberia’s youth, it continues to allocate excessive funds to maintain the lavish lifestyles of top officials, leaving critical sectors like education in crisis. The government’s failure to invest in teachers’ wages, school rehabilitation, and essential learning materials is a direct betrayal of Liberia’s future. 

“STAND is particularly outraged by President Boakai’s weak and uninspiring leadership in the education and other sectors, which has allowed corruption and influence-peddling to fester across government institutions. His administration’s failure to address these deep-seated issues has emboldened corrupt officials to enrich themselves at the expense of the suffering masses. 

“STAND vehemently denounces this outright abandonment of Liberia’s education sector, evident in the relentless exploitation of teachers through months of unpaid wages and unfair employment conditions, the disgraceful deterioration of school infrastructure, and the unforgivable lack of essential teaching resources. 

“This reckless neglect is not just a failure of leadership, it is a deliberate assault on Liberia’s youth, a betrayal of the nation’s future, and a ticking time bomb that threatens the very foundation of our society. 

“Furthermore, STAND warns the Liberia National Police to immediately cease its violent suppression of peaceful protests. The right to assemble and demand better governance is fundamental, and no government should resort to brutalizing or tear-gassing school children simply for demanding a decent education. 

“STAND urges President Joseph Boakai to immediately declare the dire conditions facing teachers and students a national emergency. To address this crisis, the President must eliminate wasteful government expenditures and take decisive action, beginning with the immediate and full payment of teachers’ salaries, a massive investment in rebuilding Liberia’s collapsing school infrastructure, and a sweeping overhaul of the education sector to prevent further decline. Anything less would be a direct (continuous) betrayal of Liberia’s children and a catastrophic failure of leadership. 

“STAND declares unequivocally that Liberia’s future is non-negotiable, as our children’s education cannot be sacrificed to government neglect and incompetence,” the release stated.

 Meanwhile, STAND urges school students to remain calm and exercise restraint, while begging all Teachers to return to classes as it engages the government in settling the salary arrears of all Teachers.