Africa-Press – Liberia. Former Montserrado County district # 16 Representative Edward Forh says authorities of Ministry of Education has miserably failed to regulate the country’s educational sector as evidenced by recent statements made by the Deputy Minister for Instruction, Latim Dathong, disassociating the ministry from the function of regulating private schools operating in the country.
Dr. Forh, who served two terms in both the 52nd and 53rd National Legislatures, is the current President of the Bushrod College of Science and Technology located in the Borough of New Kru Town, outside Monrovia.
He’s one of the founding members of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), one of the political parties that make up the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)
Last week, Deputy Education Minister for Instruction Dathong told the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) regular press briefing that the Government of Liberia (GOL), does not have the legal responsibility to regulate private schools operating in the country.
He urged parents who are in the constant habit of complaining about the astronomical fees being charged by authorities of various private schools to send their children or wards to public or government schools operating in the country.
“It is your choice to take your children to private schools. Nobody forces you; you do it voluntarily. There is nothing under the law of the Republic of Liberia that gives the Ministry of Education the right to regulate private schools,” the Deputy Education Minister said.
Deputy Minister Dathong continues to receive barrage of condemnations and lashes from not only parents, but owners of several private schools operating in the country.
Speaking when he appeared as guest on Bana FM 98.5 afternoon show over the weekend, Dr. Forh maintained that Minister Dathong was in total error for misrepresenting the facts at the news conference.
He said the latest statement made by Minister Dathong shows that he and others at the ministry do not have the capacity to exercise their oversight responsibility in regulating the sector.
He pointed out that the new education law of 2011 gives the Ministry the authority to regulate all schools from kindergarten to tertiary institutions.
Dr. Forh encouraged Minister Dathong and others at the ministry to read the new education law in a bid to effectively and efficiently carry on their assigned tasks and responsibilities.
“I think that it (Dathong statement) was an error. I am sure if you were to give Minister Dathong an opportunity today, he would deviate from that initial statement. The government is headed by the President and runs through the Cabinet and the other branches of government. These Cabinet and other agencies are regulatory bodies of our different social services and others”.
“The Ministry of Health regulates health. Is he saying that the Ministry of Health has nothing to do with what’s happening at the Catholic Hospital? How they treat or charge our people? Who licensed those doctors and nurses? Who issues permits? Let bring it to education-who issues permits? It’s the Ministry of Education. What are the requirements for the issuance of permits? You must have qualified teachers and it must be demonstrated physically by the presentation of their credentials; you must have a bank account and the amount of school fees you charged commensurate with the permit fees”.
Dr. Forh continued: “For the Deputy Minister to have made that statement-maybe they may not have the capacity to exercise oversight. If the Minister and his team do not have the capacity to exercise oversight, they must say it, but that they do not have the regulatory authority, than he needs to read the new Education Law of Liberia”.
Beyond disposition of individuals
Many Liberians, including private school administrators believed that the justification provided by Minister Dathong is in strong defense of exorbitant fees being charged by a school being owned by Education Minister Ansu Sonii.
Minister Sonii is the owner of the Dao Ansu Sonii (DAS) Foundation school located in the Hotel Africa community in district # 17, Montserrado County. Children of the elites are the ones who are mostly enrolled at this institution due to the exorbitant fees being charged.
But Dr. Forh said the current situation of a Minister owning a school should not be used as a stepping stone to play a blind eye to regulating and supervising schools operating in the country.
He added that the statement made by Deputy Minister Dathong is a clear indication that the ministry has over the years failed to regulate private schools in Liberia.
“The problem with education in Liberia goes beyond just the disposition of the individual Minister. Minister Sonii having a school should not be sufficient for the failure of regulating the educational industry. Minister Dathong statement that we have not done this or we cannot do this-that’s a failure”.
He furthered that the current situation borders on competency and capability to adequately run the country’s educational sector. Dr. Forh used the medium to call on Minister Sonii to use the same interest or innovation used to develop his personal school at the national level to help rovide trained and qualified teachers at various public schools in the leeward areas, and educational and instructional materials respectively.
Dr. Forh wondered while Minister Sonii will have a good private school, but similar innovation used to make his institution successful has not triggered down at the national level.
“I don’t see how Minister Sonii will have a very good school and yet the other schools that he regulates he claims that he has no control over them. He didn’t make that statement, but by extension the Ministry of Education”.
“When people look for good doctors, they want to copy the success story of that good doctor. And so when President Weah appointed Ministers Sonii and Dathong, he hoped that their success at the private education level will be replicated at the national level. You cannot have a good private school and yet you have no innovation”.
Complaining of challenges
Dr. Forh further observed that the lack of innovation will continue to make authorities of the country’s educational sector complain of challenges. He emphasized that though there are financial constraints on the part of government to do more, the application of innovation skills would help alleviate some of the constraints confronting the educational sector.
“Not because you call me Dr. Forh It means I can give injection at the John F. Kennedy (Medical Center). I have a PHd in Education. Dr. Peter Coleman has a MD in Medicines even though they called all of us doctors. The accountants must be accountants, the bankers must be bankers, the managers must be the managers and the educators must be the educators. They have passion; in the absence of resources they are taught by their discipline to innovate”.
“The ones who were not taught will not know the different levels of innovation when they are challenged and so every day they announce challenge, challenge, challenge because they were not trained in that profession. We are not blaming them, but we are suffering”.
The justification
In his comments posted on his official Facebook page over the weekend, Deputy Minister Dathong pointed out that his statements made at MICAT regular press briefing are being misconstrued in the public.
“We work for the people. Don’t try to score points. Read the law 9 (f ) and don’t play politics. For public schools the law says government can “determine” fees. No government before President Weah has ever regulated private school fees because the law does not say we can do so”. According to him, the new education law mandates the ministry to “set standard for private schools”, noting that, “that is what we are doing”.
“Before we issue you your permit we ensure you meet all the standards. Also we ask for the last year and current fees to see if you hike it. If you do, we request justification.Don’t misinform the public on what I said. I did not say the Ministry does not have the right to regulate private schools. Misleading headlines. I said, the Ministry doesn’t have the power to regulate private schools “fees”. Those are two different statements. The ministry can ensure that private schools teach the national curriculum, have qualified teachers, good learning environment, safety etc”.
Minister Dathong pointed out that the ministry is using its power to issue permits to private schools as a way to ensure that private schools don’t increase their fees without justification.
The law
The new Education Law of 2011 was adopted by the 53rd National Legislature and signed into law by former Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Section 1.4.1 Scope and Application states that: “this Act shall apply to and cover the establishment, management, and supervision of ALL schools within the Republic of Liberia. Without any prejudice to the broadness of the scope and application of the Act, stated herein, the Act shall specifically apply to: A) All public schools, PRIVATE SCHOOLS (EMPHASIS), C) All faith-based schools
D) All boarding schools E) All partners involved in the field of education F) All vocational institutions, G) Teacher training colleges and institutions, except where specifically excluded by this Act, H) All Universities and colleges, I) Maritime and Forestry institutions.”
The objectives of the Act, according to Section 1.5, are to “GOVERN and REGULATE the educational system and delivery and management of the system”. Chapter 9.1(g) of the Education Law states: that “Tuition and fees charged by PRIVATE and FAITH-BASED schools SHALL be in accordance with the guidelines established by the Ministry (of Education).”
Many unscrupulous private school authorities or administrators may likely reference the statement made by Deputy Minister Dathong to clandestinely increase their already exorbitant registration and tuition fees being charged parents in the midst of severe hardship as a result of economic constraints and lack of job opportunities on the already struggling masses.
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