By: Sampson W. Weah – sampsonwweah7@gmail.com
MONROVIA – Liberia’s Acting Minister of Education, Atty. Nyekeh Y. Forkpa, has announced a major reform in the education sector, revealing that the government has removed 1,000 nonperforming teachers from the national payroll and will replace them with qualified volunteers.
Speaking Thursday during a Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism (MICAT) press briefing in Monrovia, Minister Forkpa said the move demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring Liberian students receive quality instruction from competent educators.
Out of 2,000 volunteer teachers identified nationwide, 417 have already been processed and are expected to begin receiving salaries in September, with the remaining volunteers to be added by October.
“We cannot continue to compromise the future of our children with teachers who are not performing their duties effectively,” Minister Forkpa said. “This decision is not just about removing individuals from payroll, but about raising standards and giving qualified Liberians the opportunity to serve.”
The Acting Minister also revealed that more than 9,000 teachers nationwide have benefited from recent salary increments, a measure aimed at boosting morale and improving educational delivery.
Education stakeholders have long raised concerns about “ghost teachers” and underperforming staff.
Thursday’s announcement is being hailed as a decisive step toward reform, though experts emphasize that consistent monitoring and accountability will be essential to sustaining progress.
Minister Forkpa stressed that the removal of nonperforming teachers and recruitment of volunteers is only the beginning of a broader effort to revamp Liberia’s education system, which has struggled with low standards and poor outcomes for years.
The Ministry of Education has pledged continued oversight to ensure that teachers on the payroll deliver results in classrooms across the country.
