The Accelerated Vocational Training Program (AVTP) at the Booker Washington Institute (BWI) in Kakata, Margibi County last weekend graduated 258 persons who completed courses in eleven disciplines.

Some of the disciplines are Automotive, Carpentry, Drafting, Masonry, Plumbing, Domestic Science and Electrical.

The event marked the 15th postwar graduation ceremony of the AVTP at BWI.

The AVTP was established when the government, during the administration of President William R. Tolbert, Jr., identified the need to build the manpower capacity of the nation’s growing youth population through technical and vocational education and training. Established in 1977 the AVTP was a solution to the inadequate institutions of higher learning to absorb the high number of high school graduates, especially in 1976, when over 14,000 students graduated from high schools across the country.

The Charter allows the AVTP to be established at all government owned vocational high schools, including the ones at BWI and the Liberia-Swedish Vocational Training Center in Yekepa, Nimba County.

Youth and Sports Deputy Minister for Administration, Dr. T. Nancy Freeman, gave the keynote address on the topic, “The Importance of Technical Vocational Education on Our Development Agenda.”

Said Dr. Freeman, the progress and prosperity of most nations of the world are closely identified with economic development.

This is because the economic competiveness of a country depends on the skills of its workforce, she said, adding, “The skills and competencies of the workforce, in turn, are dependent upon the quality of the country’s education and training systems.”

Vocational education, she said, is therefore considered as one of the crucial elements in enhancing economic productivity.

“Technical and vocational education are tools for national development. It is also a form of education in both science, applied science and humanity, all aimed at developing individuals with the right attitude to work and the competency necessary to compete in a global society,” Dr. Freeman told the graduates.

As a result, she said government was making all efforts to ensure that technical and vocational education is encouraged and promoted among Liberian youth, noting, “It is a relevant tool for addressing economic, political, and social crises that threaten the political and economic stability of nations.”

She observed that reducing unemployment, lack of skilled workers and dropout rates, and the changing demographic nature of the workforce have placed the issue of workforce education high on the educational reform agenda.

Reading Liberia has redesigned its program for the period 2016-2021. Five years ago, the comprehensive reading program was instituted in 72 schools involving 33,610 students and 1,313 teachers. For the next five years, the program will be working with an additional 60 schools in Margibi, Bomi and Grand Bassa counties.

The Reading Liberia program, which has been renamed WE-CARE/CODE Reading Liberia 2020, kicked off with a 1-day stakeholders’ working meeting on Friday, February 19, 2016 at the WE-CARE Foundation Library, corner of Carey and Gurley Streets. The meeting, which included 65 participants, brought together county chief education officers (CCEOs), district education officers (DEOs), principals and Parent-Teacher Association chairpersons of public and community elementary schools from Bomi and Margibi counties. The purpose of the meeting was to create awareness of the program and ownership by the communities and stakeholders. Thirty public and community elementary schools in Tubmanburg and Kakata were recruited for Cluster I of Reading Liberia 2020 for the academic years 2016 to 2018.

WE-CARE Foundation’s program coordinator, Mrs. Yvonne Capehart Weah, informed the participants that WE-CARE Foundation and her partner CODE have redesigned the program to include more mentoring and monitoring activities, which were not the focus of the program in the last five year.

According to a statement from the WE CARE Foundation, assessment will also be done both for the students and teachers, and continuous participation of a teacher in the program will depend on the performance of the students.

She said that this time around, "the comprehensive reading initiative is meant to enhance teachers’ performance and improve the student learning outcomes of the Liberia children with the collective effort of all stakeholders.” The aim is to develop and foster the culture of reading and writing in our Liberian schools by training teachers to teach reading and writing across the curriculum, using active participatory and cooperative learning strategies and critical thinking methods.

Reading Liberia 2020 Program delivery was shared with the participants, principals and PTA chairpersons who later signed affirmation documents promising to abide by all aspects of the Reading Program. The participants expressed gratitude to CODE and WE-CARE for the innovative education program. “They assured their cooperation and support for the program,” the statement concluded.

Grand Gedeh County Community College (GGCCC) has relocated to its 150 acre campus donated by the county.
The land is situated on the outskirts of Zwedru along the road to Konobo District.

In a Daily Observer interview, GGCCC president, Dr. Solomon Jallahyu said the relocation became necessary to allow the administration to solicit assistance to construct several other facilities, including academic and administration buildings.

Prior to the relocation, GGCCC on March 2 held its first appearance exercise for about 120 new students, characterized by fun-sharing among the faculty, staff and student body.

Dr. Jallahyu said the college’s computer laboratory and library will remain on the campus of the Zwedru Multilateral High School.

Meanwhile, plans are underway to construct additional 34 facilities on the new campus, Dr. Jallahyu said.

He said a blueprint for the construction has already been completed, and the project is expected to begin very soon.

“The architecture design for the 34 new facilities has been completed and taken to the Ministry of Public Works in Monrovia for approval. Once it is approved, we will begin the construction in April in accordance with Public Procurement and Concession Commission,” Dr. Jallahyu disclosed.

He said the college has received US$1.2 million from the county development and social fund approved by the county authorities.

Nevertheless, he said the college is lobbying with stakeholders, including the Grand Gedeans Associations in the Americas and their compatriots in Europe to generate funds that would complement efforts initiated by the county leadership.

With that, he added that the college will host a national fundraiser this year to make the project a reality.

The Peter Quaqua School of Journalism (PQSJ) has announced the establishment of its alumni association.

The PQSJ Alumni Association (PQSJAA) is coordinated by an interim administration with George Williams as president, Alexandra Amnon, vice president, Maresa Fahnbulleh, secretary general, Danlette Washington, chaplain and Franklin Wright, adviser.

The interim leadership was set up by a majority of the members of the first graduating class at a meeting held last Saturday at MediaAid Foundation’s offices in Congo Town.

A release quoted interim president Williams as urging members of the first graduating class to strive to uphold the high standard of training they acquired from the school.

Mr. Williams also promised to justify the confidence reposed in him by leading the association to its election scheduled later this year.

Meanwhile, the interim leadership has been charged to arrange with MediaAid Foundation to host a meeting as requested by Peter Quaqua, president of the West African Journalists Association-WAJA.

According to the release, the meeting between Mr. Quaqua and the PQSJ Alumni Association will focus on idea sharing on the future of the journalism school and products of the institution.

The Peter Quaqua School of Journalism is owned and operated by MediaAid Foundation, a local media ‘Think Tank’ envisioned by Liberian journalist Titus Tokpah, and co-founded by L-Net Radio Station Manager Lewis Togba.

Deputy Education Minister for Administration, Aagon F. Tingba, has called on the alumni of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion University (AMEZU) on Benson Street in Monrovia to collaborate among themselves to form a strong association to develop the institution.

Mr. Tingba is an alumnus of the university. He made the remarks on Saturday at a souvenir program of the 2016 Alumni Homecoming event held on the university’s Po River campus in Vincent Town, Monrovia/Bomi Highway under the theme, “The Role of Alumni in an Institution.”

“We need to help to improve the institution by applying for grants out there as well as offer our services to the institution by coming to teach. It is incumbent upon us to play some meaningful role in the upkeep of the university, because over the years some of our colleagues left the university without making the necessary impact on society,” Mr. Tingba said.

He stressed the need for the alumni to work together to establish a strong network across the globe that would help to ensure that Zion remains one of the best tertiary institutions in the country.

“As we gather here today, this is not about what makes us alumni, but what role we can play in the development of our Alma mater. There are some people who unconsciously try to down play their former institutions. We need to map out our potential to help each other,” Tingbah said.

He said with the huge land space owned by the Zion University, the alumni must begin to identify projects that would be helpful to the development of the institution, adding, “Let us find time to come and teach and improve our colleagues’ academic standard.”

For his part, alumnus Musa H. Bility lauded the outgoing leadership of the association for their collaborative efforts with the administration. He then urged the incoming leadership to do likewise.

“I want the incoming leadership to identify projects especially physical projects for the next academic year so that we can do something better. This is the only way the alumni voice can be heard and respected. I want to pledge my fullest support to the Zion Administration,” Mr. Bility assured.

Abednego C. Kofie, president of the AMEZU Alumni Association, lauded Mr. Bility for providing a 67-seater bus for the university, describing his gesture as the first in the history of the university.

The Project Director of Education International (EI) has suggested the need for the Liberian government to dialogue with education stakeholders, bringing together teachers and civil society actors before out-sourcing the country’s education to a “public-private partnership” (PPP).

He said brainstorming on the PPP with stakeholders in the country is intended for the parties to dialogue and come up with a proper plan that would encourage investment in children’s education.

Mr. Gavrielatos made these observations recently in Monrovia at the opening of a one-day workshop for members of the National Teachers Association of Liberia (NTAL).

“My coming to Liberia was based on the January 21 editorial of the Daily Observer entitled, ‘Out-sourcing of Liberian Education to Public Private Partnerships,’ an idea the paper advanced that encouraged me so much,” Mr. Gavrielatos said.

And because of the idea suggested in the editorial, he said, “We came to Liberia to discuss with our member organization, the NTAL to consider the education policy direction of the government.

“We expect more from the Liberian government when it comes to ensuring the best possible opportunity for the educational well-being of the children based on the direction the PPP will arrive at.”

According to Mr. Gavrielatos, suggestions advanced in the policy were to create the necessary learning environment where the profit margin would increase in terms of a standardized system to meet international best educational practice.

He further disclosed that PPP recognized employment of qualified teachers rather than the unqualified ones, noting, “What we will suggest to the government is talk with the teachers, civil society actors to get their respective comments on the real plan that would lead us into investing in the education of children.”

He stressed the need for the government to legislate a policy on quality education for a child at a minimum.

Mr. Gavrielatos then expressed gratitude to the Daily Observer editorial staff for their “brainy editorial,” which was also published by the paper online, because for us our focus is to see the children in Africa, particularly Liberia get quality education.”

The Liberian Association of Central Jersey (LACJ), a not-for-profit organization based in the state of New Jersey in the United States, over the weekend brought smiles to the faces of students at the Sawlad Daycare and Elementary School in Wood Camp, Paynesville when they presented them with assorted school materials.

The school runs from nursery to fourth grade and has a little over 100 students. The kids were given copy books, pens, pencils, erasers, rulers and other educational materials.

The Action-secretary general Peter Massaquoi, presented the items on behalf of the LACJ to the administration of the school as the group’s way of contributing to the children’s education.

“We have the heart to do more because we know how things are tough in this country, especially after such a devastating Ebola crisis that the country has endured,” he told the students.

Mr. Massaquoi, a practicing journalist, said the group has a vision to impact the Liberian society, especially the lives of students who are suffering as a result of the current educational mess.

“We need to do more for these kids because they are the victims of the mess in our country’s education sector,” he said.

He also spoke of the difficulties that parents are enduring to send their kids to school, noting, “We know things are difficult also for parents who are finding it very hard to meet their children’s educational needs. In this little way, we want to buttress their efforts,” Massaquoi said.

The kids who expressed joy for the gesture sang songs of praise when Mr. Massaquoi told them he will construct a computer lab on their campus very soon.

“You kids need the same opportunities as your western counterparts. Computers have made the world a small place and provide countless avenues for learning,” he said.

The establishment of the computer lab, according to Mr. Massaquoi, is an initiative of his and one of his colleagues. “We see that the need really exists here. This is why we really want to establish this.” He assured that the computers are already packed for shipment to Liberia as soon as he returns to the United States.

The Principal of the school, Maryann Watson, thanked the group for selecting her school for such a worthy gesture and prayed that their promise of a computer lab will come to pass. This was also echoed by the school proprietor, Garmondeh Watson.

Educators say proper and early childhood development leads to the desired outcome of a child. This was demonstrated by a four-year old kindergarten student, Venus Gbah, of the Lolongta Children’s Hut in Fiamah where Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yue and staff of the Confucius Institute had gone to donate supplies to the school.

Little Venus who was selected by her colleagues to give the acknowledgement for the donation, said in a distinct and articulate tone, “We thank you very much for the supplies to the Lolongta Children’s Hut. We thank the Government and people of China for the care. We will use it for the intended purpose and hope others will do the same to help us.”

At the end of young Venus’ speech, the entire platform guests including Ambassador Yue and officials representing the ministries of Education and State, moved by how articulate and self-confident she was, gave her a thunderous applause.

The Ambassador and guests treated her with admiration and encouraged her to continue to study hard.

In his remarks, Ambassador Yue said supplies brought to Lolongta was part of China’s plan to support and enhance cooperation between social organizations, enterprises, women and youths from both sides.

He said early childhood development was essential to the growth and development of any society, and that Lolongta’s role in modeling less privileged children like Little Venus was a meaningful venture to support.

Ambassador Yue said after the Ebola crisis, he suggested “People to people programs that would allow the Chinese Embassy and institutions including the Confucius Institute to reach out to institutions and groups of people in Liberia with assistance.

He emphasized that the Confucius Institute was not only here in Liberia to teach the Chinese Language, but to also reach out to communities and provide things needed by Liberians.

Ambassador Yue expressed gratitude for the opportunity to reach out to the future generation with supplies that will sustain them as they are prepared for the task ahead.

On behalf of government, Minister of State without Portfolio, Sylvester Grigsby, stated that the Liberian government was appreciative of the gesture and recognizes all the assistance from the Chinese Government to Liberia.

The Confucius Institute supplies included sports and sanitary materials and food items such as bags of rice, gallons of vegetable oil, and cans of Sardines as well as bottled water.

The Principal, Evelyn G. Williams, said the idea to establish the school was brought by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from Senegal where she visited in 2011.

“When the President returned,” Evelyn said, “She introduced the same program in Liberia to give less privileged children the opportunity to learn.”

Evelyn said they are currently catering for 83 students between ages two and five years.

She said the institution depends on support from government and humanitarian organizations.

The organizer of the Montserrado Inter-High School Debate, Devine Event and Consultancy, has set March 25 as the date for holding the central tournament.

The selection of the date followed the successful hosting of the zonal stage of the debate.

In a release, the Founder and CEO of the Devine Event Management and Consultancy, Alex Devine, noted that 80 schools across the county contested during the zonal stage, but 20 of the schools qualified to participate in the Central Tournament (five each from the four zones).

"This Central Tournament is the phase two of the ongoing debate under the supervision of the Ministry of Education (MOE),” said Mr. Devine.

This phase, he added, will afford bigger schools the space and time to test their intellectual strength against each other.

In the upcoming tournament J. W. Harris from zone four (Bushrod Island) will go against School of Prime Systems from zone two (Paynesville). The two schools will clash during the official launch of the tournament.

He disclosed that both schools will argue on the topic, "The Impact of Revenue Collection in Post Conflict Liberia: Prospects and Challenges.”

On this topic, Ricks Institute is taking the affirmative, while School of Prime Systems is taking on the negative side of the argument.

Mr. Devine is encouraging parents, school administrations, international partners and government officials to come and witness the historic moment.

The competition is sponsored by Cellcom GSM, and partners including the ministries of Youth and Sports, Labor, Liberia Extractive Industry and Transparency Initiative (LEITI), SAMBA Juice, among others.

A local charity organization, the Friends of Christopher Swaray (FOCS), has donated to 10 schools in the Paynesville Community, outside Monrovia, a consignment of over 200 school kits valued about US$1000.

Schools included Mary A. Mayson Education Foundation Primary School, the J.K. Demey School, Citizens Assembly International Elementary and Junior High School, Police Academy Public School, Christ Miracle of Faith and the Ann Sandell International School.

Others are Life Foundation Academy, Roland Woheel Institute, Paynesville Community School Annex one and two, respectively.

The items were distributed through the Progressive Youth for Positive Change (PYPC) that is based in Montserrado County Electoral District #5. They contained sanitizers, cartons of deodorant, soaps, dozens of hand gloves, chlorine tablets, and sanitary fittings as well as garbage drums.

The items, according to FOCS chair, S. Cabrinida P. Goodlin, are mainly for sanitary purposes, “because about this time of the year, several campuses and communities are prone to disease outbreak, and therefore, we want the students to remain safe by practicing disease preventive measures such as using sanitary fittings.”

“We are friends of Christopher Swarary, residing in Police Academy, Paynesville City. We came with the little our hands could afford to identify with the school administrations and the students. It is all about sanitary materials that include garbage drums. We want our students to get used to putting refuse into them on their respective campuses, Mr. Goodin emphasized as each of the recipients clapped with joyfulness for the items they received.

The aim of the organization, among other things, he said is to support learning institutions and needy students in the district to achieve their potential.

Meanwhile, each of the principals that benefitted from the gesture expressed gratitude to FOCS founder, Professor Christopher Swaray, the advisor, Richard Howard, and the entire leadership for what they described as their “timely intervention with items they were especially in need of.”

The Bassa High School system in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, on March 24, celebrated its 90th gala anniversary to the excitement of residents.

Grand Bassa County Superintendent, Joseph Levi Demmah, served as the keynote speaker. He told the students and their instructors that the anniversary symbolizes 90 years of “invaluable services and an impeccable record” that the school has achieved owing to the commitment of its founding fathers to the cause of quality education as well as their passion to develop the resource capacity of the county and the country.

Supt. Demmah reiterated that if the pioneer students of the school were not determined, prepared and willing to face the challenges, the milestone of the school would not have been achieved.

He called on the administration to remain resilient, robust and committed so that the teachers can instill quality education in the students, adding that the success of the students will bring pride to the teachers.

He urged the students to avail themselves for the task of learning that would make them thoroughly prepared to play meaningful roles in society.

During the colorful program, the queens of the morning and evening sections of the school, Esther Freeman and Marilyn Nuka, were respectively crowned for the 2015-2016 academic year.

The principal of the school, Vee Moillach Sheriff, expressed gratitude to all those who contributed to making the program a success.

A group of Savannah State University students and professors have reached their goal to send much needed supplies to Liberia.

They spent about four hours loading a container of a variety of items they have been collecting for months.

The donations heading to sister universities include toiletries, school supplies, books and anything in between.

The students said their main purpose is to spread education and literacy across Africa.

"So half of it is probably wheelchairs and the rest of it is books, books and more books,” said SSU Professor Terri Clay.

"We didn't expect to completely fill the container but I'm so happy that we have and we're just ecstatic,” said a senior at SSU, Immanuel Golden.

The container hits the port on Monday and will ship out April 8th, making its way to Liberia in early May.

A non-governmental organization in the area of literacy programs says it is set to enrol more than 6000 youths and adults in its 2016 cycle.
Alfalit-Liberia, a human resource development and capacity-building organization, in the area of adult literacy says it has qualified about 6240 youths and adults who will enrol in its expanded ‘Term One’ cycle of adult literacy and skills training programs.
The entity is now accepting students in five of the 15 counties in which it is operating. The counties are Montserrado, Bong, Grand Bassa, Bomi and Margibi. Registration and enrolment into the programs are free-of-charge for youth and adults who want to learn how to read and write.
Reverend Jerome C. Williams, Alfalit Supervisor for the Department of Training Statistics and Supervision, told the Daily Observer in his Congo Town office in Monrovia yesterday that this year, Term One’ will offer training in tailoring for the students in the literacy Program.
Term One, according to Rev. Williams, is a new system in which the program is arranged by terms. He said “because in five years we ran the program just on one cycle, it took our students longer to complete their respective courses.”
He said in March last year, the administration started the first term, which will come to an end next month.
“At the close of the term, we will begin the second term in May and so forth,” explained Rev. Williams.
He said the administration decided to increase the number of students, because new programs have been added to include the skills training since a bulk of the students are in the literacy programs.
“Moreover, we have increased the number of training centers in several communities in the five counties where we are operating. We remain grateful to God, because we started the program about nine years ago with only 300 students, and to reach this far with over 6000 students enrolling, 90 percent being women, is so great,” Rev. Williams said.
Meanwhile, he has appealed to the government to add value to the programs with more funding, mindful that the program has trained over 5000 students 90 percent of whom are females who enrolled specifically in the adult literacy program.
Alfalit-Liberia is a human resource development and capacity building organization that focuses on providing reading and writing skills for adults and out of school youths and young adults who missed the opportunity of going to formal schools or who dropped out of school due to life challenges and other social problems.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, Eta Epsilon Lambda Chapter of Monrovia has launched its scholarship program for 2016/2017.

The scholarship program, according to the entity’s statement over the weekend, is intended to contribute to the upliftment of the country’s education system and further support the students.

The scholarships, the statement said, will benefit students pursuing four-year bachelor degrees in various disciplines at the University of Liberia, Cuttington University, United Methodist University, African Methodist Episcopal University, Stella Maris Polytechnic, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion University, and the William V.S. Tubman University.

The Fraternity has budgeted thousands of United States dollars for awarding multiple scholarships to eligible candidates who meet or exceed the established criteria. “We have plans to expand to other institutions over time as additional resources are secured,” the statement said.

The deadline for the submission of applications for the upcoming academic year is April 15. Applicants must have successfully completed at least one semester of college, have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0, three letters of recommendation including one from the university, a letter from a place of worship, and a letter from a civic or community leader of prominence within the applicant’s community.

Another requirement is a two to three-pages type written essay on the topic, “What are the Major Challenges Confronting the Youth of Liberia Today, and What Solutions do you Propose to Address Those Issues?” Evidence of demonstrated financial need (a bill from the school reflecting applicant’s financial obligation), an interview conducted in person before the full Education and Scholarship Committee of the Fraternity and two passport size photos with white background are also required.

The scholarship application and instructions are currently available through emailing the Fraternity at EtaEpisilonLambda@gmail.com. Applicants who fail to follow the instructions or fail to meet the criteria will not be considered. However, only the most competitive applicants will be selected, and that all decisions and awards will be made prior to commencement of the academic year.

Christian Association for Regional Development (CARD), a Liberian-owned organization with operations in Denmark, Liberia and Sierra Leone, is embarking on a new project to provide digital literacy programs across Liberia.

According to Edwina Taylor, founder and executive director of CARD, the aim of the IT/Digital Literacy program is to provide a combination of conventional literacy and computer literacy through its reading room and Internet-enabled resource center.

CARD is targeting 200 Liberian youth per year, between the ages of 8 and 16 years old. According to Ms. Taylor, the IT/Digital Literacy program will provide tuition free computer lessons, targeting 200 youth per year. Students will learn how to use the computer and the Internet for academic purposes.

CARD’s goal, Taylor says, is to multiply the project all across Liberia, with at least one facility in each county. The center, she says, will also be open to general public 3 days a week as commercial Internet facility in order to earn income to sustain the project.

CARD’s current facility, located opposite the Snapper Hill Clinic on Ashmun Street, was set up with the help of Trygve Flathen of Engineers Without Borders Norway. Mr. Flathen is a trained software engineer with a background in electronics and works for a large company in Norway that produces hi-tech security, defense and aeronautic systems.

According to Flathen the CARD facility will comprise 20 computers, all Internet enabled, powered by the EduBuntu operating system. Edubuntu is an open-source Linux operating system tailored especially for educational use.

The CARD digital literacy program will become operational hopefully by the end of April, Taylor says.

Although the 2015/2016 academic year is still in progress, the Ganta United Methodist High School (GUMS) recently honored about 110 students for academic excellence.

The Principal of the school, Reverend Roger Domah, said honoring the students was his administration’s way of encouraging them to continue to ‘study hard.’

“The exercise is to also encourage their fellow students to study hard to earn the academic laurels for themselves,” Rev. Domah told the Daily Observer at the awards ceremony.

He said because of the school’s strict academic policy, students have resolved to study hard and remain focused on their lessons.

“We honored students who obtained grade point averages of 85 percent and above.” Domah said the school decided to honor about 110 students who attained the required grade point averages out of 769 students.

The honorees included students from kindergarten to grade 12. They received certificates of appreciation for their achievements during the 1st semester.

Regional Education officer, George S. S. Wuo, who served as keynote speaker, encouraged the honorees to redouble their efforts to continue receiving awards for excellent work.

He also urged other students who did not meet the requirement to study hard and copy the examples set by their colleagues.

The Ganta United Methodist School is one of the leading schools in Ganta, with a large enrolment of students. Its administration had earlier threatened to demote students, who do not perform well in their studies.

Len Miller High School, which topped last year’s Montserrado Inter-High School Debate, has been trounced in the knockout stage of the competition by Gardnersville Wesleyan High School. Len Miller failed to maintain its excellent form which its team exhibited last year.

At the start of the debate, a large section of the divided audience shouted in support of Len Miller while describing Gardnersville Wesleyan as the “underdog.”

But surprisingly, at the end of the debate, the three judges announced the score in favor of Garnerville Wesleyan 86-80 points against their feared rival Len Miller.

Both schools resolved on the topic, “Should the Government Grant Prosecuting Power to Liberia Anti Corruption Commission (LACC)?”

Presenting their affirmative side of the argument, Len Miller quoted section 5.1 of the LACC Act, which says, “…The Commission should have prosecuting powers to eradicate corrupt practices from the Liberian society.”

Borrowing a line from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Len Miller team argued that “Granting direct prosecutorial power will strengthen the LACC, insulate it from reliance on external entities of government and help dispel notions that decisions to prosecute and not to prosecute are politically motivated.” The team contended that it was about time the President’s argument was supported and said it was convinced that LACC be granted prosecutorial power in order to properly fight corruption.

On the negative side of the debate, Gardnersville Wesleyan argued that “LACC as an autonomous and independent body established through an Act of Legislature in August 2008, has no provision to prosecute, rather it is only the Judiciary that has the power to prosecute whoever commits an offense, be it a corrupt practice or not...”

Meanwhile, in the other two debates Apostolic Foundation High School (Affirmative) defeated Jimmy Jolocon (Negative) 82-84 on the topic, “Should Africa Use a Single Currency?”

Earlier Lombardia walked away with free points after J.J Roberts failed to turn up for the debate.

The debate is held every week by the Devine Event and Consultancy under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and powered by Cellcom GSM and other partners including Samba Juice and the Ministry of Information.

Reverend Olu Menjay, Principal and Chief Administrative Officer of Ricks Institute, recently led a group of 29 students and personnel of the institute on a six-day educational and cultural excursion to Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Those who made the trip, according to a dispatch from Dr. Menjay in Freetown, consisted of 20 students and nine staff.

Ricks Institute, Dr. Menjay said, believes that learning is easier when a child sees, touches and feels, thus making the excursion essential.

He said, when the group arrived in Sierra Leone on Thursday, March 24, they met with the Vice President, Dr. Victor Foh at his residence in Freetown.

Dr. Foh told the Ricks visitors that the strength in Sierra Leone’s growth is religious tolerance, adding that Liberia and Sierra Leone have a lot in common. “Our two countries share similar stories,” he told the visitors outlining several historical factors.

In response, Dr. Menjay reminded Dr. Foh that education at Ricks Institute goes beyond the traditional “brick and wall” classroom, adding, “We believe that the lives of our students who are participating in this excursion will never remain the same.”

Also present at that meeting was former Sierra Leonean head of state, Captain Valentine Strasser, the former Minister of Works, the son of the late Chief Samuel Hinga Norman, and other dignitaries of the Sierra Leonean society.

Chief Norman was a Sierra Leonean politician from the Mende tribe, who founded and led the country’s Civil Defense Forces, commonly known as the Kamajors during that country’s brutal civil war. The Kamajors supported the government of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah against the Revolutionary United Front led by Foday Sankoh. On March 7, 2003, Chief Norman was indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He died on February 22, 2007 in Dakar, Senegal, while undergoing medical treatment.

On the second day of the excursion, the team met with the Chief Administrator of the St. John Maroon Church, a historical religious establishment associated with the slave trade.

The team later visited and observed worship at the central Mosque of Sierra Leone where the Chief Imam commented that that there is no senseless peace, but senseless war.

“It helps a lot for faith groups to coexist peacefully as no society can progress in the midst of confusion,” the Imam told the student visitors.

The team then visited Forah Bay College and later paid homage at the grave of Edward Wilmot Blyden, a self-taught genius, born in the West Indies, who lived in Liberia and taught at the then Liberia College. Blyden contributed land to Ricks Institute in Virginia, outside Monrovia.

On Saturday, March 26, the team took a two hour boat ride to the Bunce Island, an infamous slave fortress built to process and market slaves for shipment to America and other parts of the world.

The team later met at the residence of the president of the Sierra Leone Baptist Convention where they fellowshipped with their Baptist counterparts.

On Sunday, the team worshiped with the Regent Road Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist Church in West Africa, established by early Baptist settlers in Freetown.
Rev. Menjay preached the Easter sermon.

The team afterwards visited the Sierra Leone Peace and Cultural Museum, described as an outstanding and amiable treasure that gives a chronological account of Sierra Leone’s history before and after Independence on April 27, 1961.

The Ricks visitors then passed by the famous Special UN Court that tried Charles Taylor. The day was punctuated with a grand dinner at the residence of Vice President Foh.

At dinner, the team met the Liberian Ambassador to Sierra Leone and the former Sierra Leone Ambassador to Liberia.

Ricks Institute, established 1887 by the Liberia Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, is a learning and faith community high school located in Virginia, Liberia.

Two instructors of the Confucius Institute (CI) have expressed their excitement over the achievements of Liberians undergoing Chinese Language and cultural learning in Monrovia and at the University of Liberia.

“Chinese Language is altogether different and difficult. To get the students to understand, I design various activities to add to the students’ interest. By that, they are taking in the lesson,” Xiong Yuxian, one of the instructors said.

Xiong said “Liberians are so talented and quick to take in, and just the few times spent with them have resulted in many of them reciting poems in Chinese, singing and dancing Chinese songs, and perform other cultural activities the instructors have taught them.”

The CI is exclusively based at the University of Liberia and is engaged in teaching Chinese Language and Culture through which many students have proven their abilities in the lessons. Through their achievements some of the students have travelled to China and interacted with the Chinese through cultural exchange programs.

The institute also provides lessons for other interested people who are not attending the UL. CI is also conducting a class for officers of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization and the Liberia National Police. The reason is to get those officers acquainted with the language since they are often assigned at the various ports of entry through which Chinese and other nationals enter the country.

Xiong said both university and non university students were learning at the same pace in understanding the Chinese language and cultural activities.
She added that from calls they received during their program on the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), many more people continue to express interest in learning the language.
Xiong, in line with her colleague Tang Xaowei said learning the language is important for building a bridge for China-Liberia relations, adding that the most important thing is for both countries to harmoniously coexist to seek their citizens’ welfare.

In separate statements, Xiong and her colleague noted that members of the Chinese Cultural Troupe that visited Monrovia about a month ago were astonished by what they saw their Liberian counterparts doing.

According to the instructors, the two groups mingled, ate and performed the rest of the activities together, beyond the expectations of the Chinese Cultural Troupe.

Giving highlights of her work, Xiong said they are basically involved in teaching Chinese Language and Culture, and teach over a hundred students from diverse backgrounds.

The lesson is taught at levels ranging from 1 to 4, and those who complete are awarded certificates of achievement.

Xiong Yuxian was born in 1992 and came to Liberia in July 2015 as a volunteer teacher to teach Chinese at the Confucius Institute.

Before coming to Liberia, she was doing her master’s degree program at the Changsha University of Science & Technology in Central China.

She has been a volunteer teacher in China for years, teaching in some poor mountainous schools.

For Tang Xiaowei when she heard information about the volunteer teacher program she quickly applied to be a guest lecturer.

She was among the lucky ones selected for the work that entered Liberia on July 14, 2015.

The first and newly appointed president of the Harbel Community College (HARCO) last week warned the many would be instructors of the college to search and adequately prepare themselves well before choosing to teach at the college.

Dr. Syrulwa Somah gave the warning during a program marking the formal opening of the college in Harbel, Lower Margibi County. He instructed each of the future lecturers at the college to publish academic materials in their various areas of specializations “for people to read and learn from for life.”

According to Somah, a first degree holder is not qualified to teach someone who is also seeking for the same degree. “This,” he noted, “is one of the critical challenges facing the country’s already messy education system.’’

“All the instructors at this college must be master’s degree holders, even if any of you is to teach at the lowest level in a particular discipline,’’ said Somah.
What good will educated professors be if they cannot help anyone improve his/her life through their academic instructions.

Dr. Somah observed that universities, colleges and grade schools are not doing what they are expected to do in terms of improvement in curriculum.

He therefore called on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to take him for his word that he will not relent by doing the right thing to make the Harbel College first among all the other community colleges in the country.

“Anything to the contrary of my solemn pledge, let the President punish me,” Dr. Somah declared.

He, however, called on the students not to let anyone or life threatening challenges to lower their aspirations.

Dr. Somah also admonished the students to do away with the old Liberian ways of doing things, which have eventually led the downward spiralling of the country’s education system.

According to him, the old ways of doing things weaken the judgment of people, who contribute to the delaying of progress in Liberia.

“Liberia,” he said, “can be compared positively to any other country in the world, if only the mindset that Liberians do not change for good is done away with.’’

He said he, along with his colleagues, will always see themselves as “a force of distinctiveness in propelling the plane of quality and excellence” at the college.

Dr. Somah named subjects such as Agriculture, Liberian Studies, Women Studies, Information Technology, Climate Change Studies and Defence Studies, etc. as subjects the college will offer.

He meanwhile commended President Sirleaf for his preferment to the post and assured her and the people of Margibi that he and his colleagues will provide remarkable results.

HARCO runs on the motto, “The Rising Sun of Hope,” for which Dr. Somah promised that he and his teaching staff will “go all-out” to raise the institute to the expectations of those they will serve.

For her part, Deputy Education Minister for Instruction Dr. Romell A. Horton highlighted quality and excellence as elements that are uniquely related and inseparable in the education sector.

According to Dr. Horton, for excellence and quality to come out of students, the authority must equip the teachers materially and mentally.

She said that the quality of education cannot exceed the quality of the teacher, who offers his/her acquired education to student.

“The teacher,” she said, “should be equalled to the standards of their own learning; for this guarantees real quality as service to students.”

She observed that the country’s education is in serious need for rehabilitation; therefore, she called on the incoming students and the faculty staff to be the change they want to see.

“Be masters of change, not victims,” adding that the student should learn how to manage the affairs of HARCO amidst the many academic challenges.

According to Dr. Horton, quality education is the foundation for democratic development.

To realize collective and individual successes at HARCO, Dr. Horton promised the MOE’s support and guidance to the college at all times.

To the dismay of everyone who attended the ceremony, Ballah G. Zayzay was the only member of the Margibi Legislative Caucus present.

Zayzay represents Margibi Electoral District #2 at the National Legislature. It is in his District that the college is located.

The Margibi Lawmaker expressed his gratitude to those who crafted the idea that gave birth to the college.