By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com / Gabriel Parker
Maher, Bomi County – The Maher Elementary Public School located along the Monrovia – Tubmanburg Highway in Bomi County has only a lone female teacher Benetha Askie who had struggled to provide education for dozens of kids for years in the midst of challenges.
As reported in our earlier edition, the Maher Public School is at the verge of collapse due to lack of teachers, instructional materials, compensation for the lone female teacher and extremely poor infrastructure.
The situation, according to local authorities, has left hundreds of children without access to proper schooling. In an interview with Liberia Excellent News Network (LENN), the town chief of Maher, David Kessale, disclosed that for more than two years, the school has been operating with only one female teacher who is volunteering her services.
He described the condition as dire and unsustainable, noting that it has severely affected the quality of education for children in Maher and neighboring communities.
Due to the continued lack of teaching staff, the Ministry of Education recently downgraded the school from grade six to grade three.
Chief Kessale said this reduction has significantly limited the educational opportunities available to students, many of whom previously had access to complete primary education within their community.
Story of Ms. Benetha Askie
Benetha Askie first entered the Maher Public School as a young volunteer teacher in 2010, nearly 15 years ago. By then, the elementary school which was at six grade level had only four instructor including the Principal, Vice Principal, and two other teachers.
In an interview with LENN, Ms. Askie said years later, the principal and the vice succumbed to death while the other female teacher who was aiding in the process left.
“I came to this school as a volunteer since 2010 during the second term of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The Principal and the vice passed away, the other female teacher left because there was no pay for us and the school was struggling.” She said.
Today, Ms Askie is alone at the Maher Public School as the Principal, Registrar, teacher for more than eighty students at a school which is at the brink of collapse.
Ms. Askie mentioned that due to the lack of teachers, support staff and proper infrastructure the school is not no longer at six grade level but downgraded to third grade.
“I really want to help these children but my one cannot do it alone. I left in this volunteer role until I went to the teacher training school, graduated and returned to teach. I am the only person here and to take care of all these children is not an easy thing for me.” She said.
Ms. Askie alone will have to teach from Kindergarten to third grade everyday just to ensure the kinds obtain education. “When I leave from here today then what become of these children.” She asked.
“My motivation is that I really love to be around these kids. I love to teach and help them for the future but I alone cannot do it. I need at least few other trained teachers to join me. When I am tired and say I am not going for class, all the kids will come to my house to beg me. That’s how determined they are to achieve education. But it’s not easy.”
Call for Government Intervention
Ms. Askie has launched a passionate plea for the government through the Ministry of Education to intervene by assigning additional teachers to the public school to help the children of Maher in Bomi County.
She recounted how many of the kids are being pushed into early marriages while others have become breadwinners for their families due to the lack of proper functioning of the school.
The Maher Public School lone female teacher is also calling on the government to improve the school’s infrastructure, provide logistics and stationary for smooth learning outcomes.
