Africa-Press – Liberia. By Patrick N. Mensah, Maryland County.
Maryland County, Liberia; September 25, 2025 – Citizens in the Pelebo and Pula Harper districts are concerned about the deplorable condition of an elementary school within their communities, as Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) chairmen, Mr. Stephen Sieh and David Landford, have called on the government through the Ministry of Education for immediate intervention.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, September 23, the PTA chairmen of several schools accused the Ministry of Education of neglecting their institutions, citing the deplorable state of the roof and the incomplete renovation of the facilities.
Inside one of the classrooms at Puala Public School
According to Chairman Sieh, the Early Childhood Development (ECD) section of the school often suspends classes during school hours due to lack of proper shelter.
He disclosed that the school was established on January 20, 1981, as a self-help initiative supported by the Governments of Netherlands and the United States.
He explained that the school’s principal has appealed to community members to donate one sheet of zinc each for renovation, but residents have been unable to provide support due to economic hardship.
Mr. Sieh noted that there is no external support, resulting in over a hundred students being out of school due to the poor condition of the school.
A public School in Pleebo
He highlighted the need for qualified teachers to support the current staff and improve academic performance of students in the community, pointing out that only two teachers at the institution are on government payroll, while the rest are volunteering without salary.
He also mentioned other long-standing challenges faced by the community, including lack of safe drinking water, electricity, and other basic services.
At the same time, Chairman David Landford of one of the government-run schools in Pula raised similar concerns about the deplorable state of a school in the town, which serves over 230 children in ECD, Elementary, and Junior High.
According to him, one side of the ECD section (Nursery and Kindergarten), which operates from a two-room mud hut, has already collapsed.
Chairman Landford lamented that children sit on the bare ground, using school bags as cushions to write due to lack of seats in the classroom.
Deplorable conditions of another public school in pleebo
The elementary and junior high school building suffers leakage, with rusty zinc, dilapidated ceiling, and cracked walls that expose students to rain and sunburn.
Teachers’ quarters are incomplete, yet instructors are forced to sleep there because of the lack of housing.
A room in the Teacher’s Quarters, where a female teacher currently sleeps, was built by Senator James Biney, but the building is still incomplete. The facility lacks doors, toilets, and mattresses, according to Chairman David Landford.
“I sleep on a bed made of sticks. I put my bag on top and sleep on it,” revealed Mrs. Annie Clark, the school’s only female teacher and Vice Principal. “I’ve been here for two years without support.”
These teachers work under extreme hardship with no housing and no assurance of when or whether things will improve.
The NEW DAWN contacted County Education Officer, Mr. Larry Nimely, Jr., who confirmed the poor state of public schools there, saying, the situation is a national issue; we’re aware.”
“At the moment, there’s no funding available for renovation, but when the Ministry or partners allocate funds, we will act”, CEO Nimely added.
He thanked CAAT for highlighting the issue, but noted that education infrastructure challenges are widespread across the country.
The people of Pula Town say they feel abandoned by their leaders. With no safe schools for their children, no town hall, and no support from government, the community is demanding immediate intervention.
“Our children are sitting in danger every day. What more do we have to lose before someone helps us?” A parent asked during the engagement.
As it stands, over 230 students of the school are often put in harm’s way, while promises to protect and serve them are nothing more than empty political rhetoric.
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