By: Karino Teah – karinoreah@gmail.com
SINOE COUNTY – Vogbadee Public School located in Juazon District #3 in Sinoe County is said to be at the verge of collapse due to several challenges it is confronted with.
Just an elementary school, the Vogbadee Public School has an enrollment of more than 260 students from preschool to 6th Grade.
It is the only nearby school for surrounding towns and villages in the remote part of Sinoe County.
Despite being a government run school, learning outcomes are threatened due to lack of adequately prepared instructors, instructional materials, and a building that is at the brink of collapse.
The Principal of Vogbadee Public School Mr. Nelson Pollyn is now appealing for urgent intervention by the government and partners to save the school from total closure.
Mr. Pollyn disclosed that the elementary school, which currently accommodates approximately 265 students in only four classrooms, has not received any supplies or support from the Ministry of Education since 2017.
Speaking during an interview with journalists, he said the school has been left to operate without the necessary resources for nearly eight years.
Principal Pollyn revealed that he often travels to Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, to seek assistance from friends for basic teaching materials such as chalk. “I volunteered for several years before being placed on the government payroll,” Mr. Pollyn explained.
“We currently have four government-paid teachers, including myself, but the situation remains extremely challenging.”
According to him, students, especially females, are left with no alternative but to use the bushes to ease themselves due to lack of restrooms on the school’s campus.
He is calling on the Government of Liberia, particularly the Ministry of Education, to urgently intervene and restore dignity to Vogbadee Public School, emphasizing that education remains critical to the nation’s development.
