Africa-Press – Liberia. Nineteen Liberian students studying in India under the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) scholarship program are raising alarms over what they describe as neglect and abandonment by the institution’s current administration.
The students, including teachers pursuing master’s degrees, one PhD candidate, and several undergraduates, say they have been without medical insurance, stipends, or basic financial support for over a year, despite repeated appeals to the MCSS, the Ministry of Education, and the Liberian Senate.
In a communication seen by FrontPage Africa, the students said they left Liberia on September 30, 2024, under the administration of former MCSS Superintendent James Momoh, to pursue graduate and undergraduate programs at Apeejay Stya University and Graphic Era University in India.
However, after Momoh’s suspension and the appointment of Dr. Augurine Stevens as Acting Superintendent, the students allege the new leadership has ignored their pleas for assistance.
“Since our arrival, we have not received a single dollar for medical or financial support,” said Sam S. Siryon, who represents the group.
“We have written several communications to the MCSS, the Ministry of Education, and the Senate, but the current administration continues to ignore our cries. Life here is very tough, many of us are struggling to survive.”
Senate Intervention
The matter drew the attention of the Liberian Senate’s Committee on Education and Public Administration, which, on September 2, summoned Dr. Stevens to appear before the Committee.
In the official communication, signed by Committee Chairman, Senator Nathaniel Gill, the Senate cited urgent concerns over the delay in tuition payments, lack of medical coverage, and threat of expulsion from the universities due to unpaid fees.
“Given the gravity of this matter, which touches the image of the Republic and the future of young Liberians, the Committee expects your full cooperation,” the Senate letter stated.
But during her appearance before the Committee, Dr. Stevens reportedly informed senators that all outstanding obligations had been settled and that students’ medical insurance was covered, a claim the students say is untrue.
“That statement was false,” the students said in a follow-up letter to the Senate.
“We still have outstanding balances and have not received any support for medical insurance or living expenses.”
MCSS Responds
In response to the allegations, Emmanuel Kyne Robertson, Assistant Superintendent for Instructions at MCSS, told FrontPage Africa on Tuesday, November 4, via mobile phone, that the current administration has already paid 90 percent of the students’ tuition.
“Politics cannot be information into academic activities,” Robertson said.
“The new administration has completed 90 percent of their tuition. Whatever debt the previous administration left behind, we have worked hard to settle most of it. As for feeding and medical insurance, that was not part of the agreement under this administration.”
Robertson stressed that it was the Indian government that was supposed to handle the aspects of feeding as agreed upon.
Robertson added that the current MCSS leadership inherited the scholarship program and its challenges, noting that the agreement with the Indian institutions was signed under the previous administration.
‘We Are Suffering’
Despite MCSS’s assurances, the students maintain that their living conditions have become unbearable.
They claim they are facing expulsion threats, visa expiration risks, and deteriorating health conditions due to lack of support.
“We came here as proud Liberians seeking knowledge to serve our country, but today, we are living in fear and uncertainty,” one student wrote.
“We are suffering, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We beg the government to listen to our plight before it’s too late.”
According to the group, they all signed a three-year service agreement with MCSS, committing to serve the school system upon their return before seeking other employment.
They say their goal remains to contribute to Liberia’s education system, if they can complete their studies.
“We left Liberia full of hope, believing our country would support us,” Siryon, spokesperson of the students said.
“But now, we feel abandoned. We only ask that the government keep its promise so we can finish what we started and return to serve.”
The MCSS scholarship program, launched under former Superintendent James Momoh, was intended to upgrade the qualifications of Liberian teachers and strengthen instructional standards within the Monrovia school system.
With most of the students enrolled in education-related graduate programs, the initiative was seen as a critical investment in Liberia’s postwar human-capital development.
However, the transition in MCSS leadership has left the program in limbo, with unresolved financial obligations threatening to derail the academic progress of the beneficiaries.
As of press time, the students’ universities have reportedly granted temporary extensions to prevent their expulsion.
The students are now appealing to the Government of Liberia, the Ministry of Education, and development partners to intervene urgently.
“We don’t want to be deported or drop out because of circumstances beyond our control,” said in a voicemail to FrontPageAfrica.
“We just want the support we were promised, so we can study, graduate, and come home to serve Liberia.”
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