“Students Protest is Politically Motivated” -Education Minister Says Teachers Have Been Paid; But Critics Support Students

By H Matthew Turry

MONROVIA – Yesterday, March 25, students of the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) staged a peaceful protest in the wake of MCSS teachers’ go-slow actions linked directly to the government’s failure to pay teachers’ salaries.

But Education Minister Jarso Jallah speaking at the Ministry of Information regular press briefing, clarified that the government has provided the Monrovia Consolidated School System an annual budget of 4.2 Million United States Dollars.

Minister Jallah disclosed that the total of 3.9 Million United States Dollars is used for salaries. She stressed that MCSS teachers have been paid their salaries, terming the protest action as concerning.

According to Minister Jarso Jallah certain individuals are the actual conspirators of the protest to paint a negative image of the government.

The education minister narrated the action as unfortunate because the students deserve a conducive space to learn.

Dr. Jallah however disclosed that the ministry is collaborating with the Liberia National Police to establish the actual individuals’ behind the students’ protest.

Yesterday’s protest resulted in some students being tear gassed by police. The protest was fuelled by growing frustration over the ongoing issue of unpaid teachers, which the students argue is severely affecting their education.

The Petition

The students had assembled to present a petition statement to the Minister of Education, the Minister of Finance and the Director General of the Cabinet.

In their statement, the students of the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS), the largest student body in Montserrado County, representing over 26,000 students said they refuse to remain silent while the country’s education system is being destroyed by neglect, broken promises, and deliberate ignorance from those in power.

“For too long, we have watched our teachers struggle, and now, we are suffering the consequences. Our teachers have laid down their chalk and markers because of the government’s failure to honor its commitments. They are tired, we are tired, and the entire school system is falling apart. We are the future of this country, yet we are being denied our right to education because of the government’s failure to prioritize us.

“We refuse to be used, deceived, and ignored any longer. If the government will not act, we will make them listen!

“During his State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Joseph Boakai assured the entire country that when the national budget is passed, volunteer teachers would be transitioned into full employment. That budget has been passed, so where is the action? Why are our teachers still volunteering like donkeys with no salaries? Why are they still being treated as if they are not important?

“Minister Augustine K. Ngafuan stated that teachers’ salaries would be increased beginning January 2025, yet here we are in March, and our teachers are still crying for their money! What is taking so long? Why must our teachers continue to suffer before they are paid what they rightfully deserve? Is this how a government that claims to care about education treats its teachers?

“The government must understand that when they fail our teachers, they fail the students, and when they fail the students, they fail the future of Liberia!

“We are not here to beg; we are here to demand what is rightfully ours. The MCSS Students Union is demanding immediate action on the following critical issues: 1. Transition of Volunteer Teachers to Full-Time Employment. We demand that all volunteer teachers be placed on payroll IMMEDIATELY. These teachers have sacrificed years of their lives educating Liberia’s children without proper pay. This is unacceptable!

“Education cannot function on free labor! 2. Full Salary Payment & Increment for MCSS Teachers. No more delays! Our teachers should not have to keep advocating for what was already promised to them. We demand that all unpaid salaries be paid in full, immediately! The promised salary increment must be applied immediately and retroactively from January 2025.

“3. Better Infrastructure & Learning Conditions. The current state of MCSS schools is a disgrace! The government has abandoned our schools, and we are forced to learn in inhumane conditions: Our classrooms are leaking, with damaged roofs and broken furniture. Many of our schools do not even have chairs for students to sit on. Some schools are so damaged that we cannot even use the classrooms properly. We demand an immediate assessment of all MCSS schools and a comprehensive renovation plan to fix the buildings!

“4. Functional Laboratories & Libraries. How can the government expect us to compete with private schools when we do not have proper learning materials? 80% of MCSS schools do not have science laboratories! Students from Boatswain on Jamaica Road have to travel all the way to D. Twe in New Kru Town just to do laboratory work. This is unacceptable! Our libraries are outdated, filled with old books that no longer align with modern education standards. We demand the immediate establishment of science laboratories in all MCSS schools! We demand the supply of modern books, computers, and research materials for all school libraries!

“5. Increased Budgetary Support for MCSS. The government must allocate more funding to MCSS immediately! MCSS is the largest public school system in Montserrado, yet it receives little to no proper funding. How can we learn when our schools are in ruins? The budget must reflect the importance of education, and we will not rest until we see action!

“THE PROBLEM IS CLEAR – OUR LEADERS DO NOT CARE! We have written letters, held meetings, and spoken out multiple times, yet the government continues to act like we do not exist. Why? Because our leaders do not have their children in public schools. They prefer stealing government money for their own gain while we, the poor students, continue to suffer in broken classrooms with no resources.

“Ministers and lawmakers are earning $13,000 per month, yet they cannot pay teachers. Some of them spend $9,000–$10,000 just to buy a car, but they claim there is no money for education,” the students’ petition stated clearly.

In the wake of presenting their petition to lawmakers on the grounds of the Capitol Building, some students were tear gassed by the Liberia National Police, arrested and bundled to the LNP Hq on Capitol Bye Pass.

The students have maintained that they will continue their actions until the government addresses their right to quality education, but the situation has brought the Liberia National Police under scrutiny for using force and teargas on the unarmed students.

Critics galore

Critics of the police included the Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) Anderson Miamen who in an hour after the protest took to his official Facebook page to say: “I stand with the protesting students; they deserve better treatment. The students are right to protest; I stand with them fully. My only caution is for them to be peaceful and lawful. Their teachers deserve better working conditions. Even the students deserve better learning conditions.

“We don’t have money to pay teachers well, but we can pay almost half a million United States Dollars to the former Central Bank Governor to “settle him”. We can pay almost 25,000 USD to one government official, but pay under 200 USD to public school teachers,” he commented.

The CENTAL boss concluded by saying, “The Country’s money should work for students, teachers, ministers, and all others. Few people should not feel it is their entitlement.

In response to the situation, the Liberia National Students’ Union (LINSU) issued a statement condemning the government for its continuous neglect of the education sector.

LINSU expressed concern over the government’s failure to address critical issues such as wage irregularities, poor school conditions, and the lack of basic teaching materials.

According to LINSU, the government’s inaction is an attack on the future of Liberia’s youth.

LINSU also accused the government of prioritizing corruption over education, claiming that while students struggle in dilapidated classrooms, public officials continue to misuse state resources. The union has voiced strong support for the students of the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS), who have taken to the streets to demand better conditions.