Principal appeals for government intervention as volunteer teachers face uncertainty over salaries
WROAHZOHN TOWN – The Liberian Agriculture Company (LAC) has renovated Wroahzohn Public School in Wee Statutory District, Grand Bassa County, as part of its corporate social responsibility, providing improved learning facilities for hundreds of children.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
However, the school’s principal says a persistent shortage of teachers and the failure to place volunteer educators on the government payroll threaten to undermine the gains made through the rehabilitation.
S. Volley Nuangar, principal of Wroahzohn Public School, said the renovation has significantly improved the learning environment at an institution established by LAC nearly two decades ago.
He explained that the school had deteriorated considerably over the years before the company intervened with a second round of rehabilitation, helping to restore facilities needed for teaching and learning.
According to Mr Nuangar, the renovation has provided the school with improved classroom facilities, desks and benches for pupils, as well as teachers’ desks that were previously unavailable.
He described the company’s intervention as an important contribution to education in the community.
Renovation Improves Learning Facilities for 270 Pupils
The principal said the school currently has five classrooms and an auditorium, serving pupils from kindergarten through sixth grade.
He noted that before the establishment of another community school in Wroahzohn Town, enrolment stood at 382 pupils.
The number has since declined to 270, as some children now attend the newly established institution.
Despite the reduction in enrolment, Mr Nuangar said the improved facilities have created a better environment for teaching and learning.
However, he stressed that maintaining these improvements requires adequate staffing and continued support for the school.
Teacher Shortage Threatens Educational Progress
Despite the improvements to the school’s physical infrastructure, Mr Nuangar said the institution continues to struggle with a critical shortage of teachers, raising concerns about whether the available workforce can adequately meet the educational needs of its pupils.
He disclosed that the school has five teachers, but only one is on the government payroll, leaving the remaining four to work as volunteers without regular government salaries.
The principal described the situation as a longstanding challenge that has placed considerable pressure on the school administration and the community.
According to him, the volunteer teachers have continued supporting classroom activities despite the financial difficulties associated with working without guaranteed monthly salaries.
Volunteer Teachers Struggle as Community Funding Dries Up
Mr Nuangar said the school previously relied on contributions collected from pupils to provide financial support to volunteer teachers.
However, that arrangement ended after the government stopped the collection of those fees, leaving the school struggling to find alternative means of compensating the educators.
He explained that the community board has since intervened by seeking contributions from Parent-Teacher Association members to help keep the volunteer teachers in the classroom.
The principal said the community has been making efforts to raise money to support the teachers, but acknowledged that the arrangement is not a sustainable solution to the school’s staffing crisis.
One Teacher Has Left as Another Considers Leaving
The principal disclosed that one volunteer teacher has already left the school, reducing the number of educators available to teach the pupils.
He warned that another female volunteer teacher could leave by November if nothing is done to address the situation, raising fears that the school could lose more of its limited teaching staff.
The potential departure of additional teachers could place further pressure on the remaining educators and affect the school’s ability to provide consistent instruction to pupils.
For Wroahzohn Public School, the renovation has improved the physical learning environment, but the shortage of teachers remains a major obstacle to providing consistent education for children in the community.
Principal Appeals for Teachers to Be Placed on Government Payroll
Mr Nuangar appealed to the Ministry of Education to intervene by placing additional teachers on the government payroll, saying the school cannot continue to depend on volunteers indefinitely.
He argued that government support is necessary to retain teachers, protect the gains made through the renovation and ensure that pupils receive the education they deserve.
The principal warned that if the situation continues, the school could face further disruptions, particularly if the remaining volunteer teachers decide to leave.
He said the school needs urgent assistance to enable the teachers to remain in their positions while the government works towards a lasting solution.
Beyond the shortage of teachers, Mr Nuangar identified the lack of a perimeter fence as another major concern, saying the school needs additional support to improve the safety of pupils on the campus.
He appealed to the organisation In Progress Life to consider assisting with the construction of a fence, which he believes would help protect the children and improve the school’s surroundings.
The principal also expressed concern that the community has not received sufficient attention from local lawmakers, although he acknowledged that the interview had encouraged him to consider following up with the relevant representatives for assistance.
Government Intervention Needed to Sustain LAC’s Investment
As the school benefits from LAC’s renovation, the principal is urging the government, education authorities, community leaders and development partners to address the staffing crisis before it worsens.
He stressed that improved buildings and classroom furniture alone cannot guarantee quality education if there are not enough teachers to deliver lessons.
For Wroahzohn Public School, LAC’s rehabilitation represents an important step towards improving education infrastructure in Wee Statutory District.
But the principal says the next priority must be ensuring that the school has enough teachers, particularly by placing volunteer educators on the government payroll, to sustain learning and prevent further staff departures.
