Author: Mory Sumaworo
Site of publication: Journal of Asian and African social science and humanities
Type of publication: Article
Date of publication: March 2023
INTRODUCTION
Africa as a whole which Liberia forms a part of, has made a noticeable progress in educational sector over the last two decades, Nonetheless, there are still a lot of challenges to be handled and addressed as observed by the United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in its World Conference on higher education in 1998, . Meanwhile, a sound higher education system is the gateway to developing market-driven and productive human capital for any given nation. If any loophole happens to be found in it, that will definitely lead to adverse effects on the nation’s productivity as a result, its economy will adversely be affected.
Besides, in 2013, 25000 students sat for entrance exam to the University of Liberia the biggest State–owned university, but despondently, it was declared that none of them passed in the test due to their poor performances as the spokesman -Momodou Gataweh-of the University told BBC Focus on Africa “In English, the mechanics of the language, they didn’t know anything about it. So the government has to do something”. On the other hand, the Minister of Education Mrs. Etmonia David-Tarpeh acknowledges the setback in Liberia’s education system but raises a doubt about the possibility for the whole group to fail the test.
SIGNIFICANCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR THE LIBERIA POST-WAR DEVELOPMENT
In order to really understand the gravity of the damage that the tertiary education suffers and sustains from when it is not on the right trajectory, it is crucial to outline some socioeconomic, scientific and academic significance that higher education offers for development process of the country and more specifically in fragile states like Liberia. The Higher education is a driving force to sound and vibrant economic stability, sustainable peace, social development, scientific innovation and technological advancement and creativity.
THE SOCIO-POLITICAL BENEFITS
Higher education offers and creates a greater chance for the people to improve their lives and the lives of their families. It also helps to generate ideas to create jobs for others by establishing new ventures, businesses and institutions. Politically on the other hand, tertiary education sophisticated the public with analytical tools to formulate policies and promote the rule of law, democracy, good governance, and oversight responsibility on public offices.
“Higher education enhances the political context by contributing to building civil society, enlightened citizenship, self-reliance, equal opportunity and skills and values of argumentative dialogue and reasoning, tolerance and respect.
Supporting other Levels of Education
The pre-university study is very crucial; it largely depends on the products of tertiary institutions. With a reliable higher education, other levels of education could be sustained and thus significantly produce qualified students for higher study and job market as well. In other words, secondary schools are most often managed and taught by those with university qualifications.
In order to really understand the gravity of the damage that the tertiary education suffers and sustains from when it is not on the right trajectory, it is crucial to outline some socioeconomic, scientific and academic significance that higher education offers for development process of the country and more specifically in fragile states like Liberia. The Higher education is a driving force to sound and vibrant economic stability, sustainable peace, social development, scientific innovation and technological advancement and creativity
However, in the Liberian context, the scenario is quite different as most secondary and high schools are being taught by those with the similar qualifications (High school Diplomas). At the university level, the vast majority of lecturers at most of the tertiary institutions in the country are Bachelor’s degree holders.
Lack of Academic Research and Innovation Centers
Further, scientific innovation is of major concern for highly sophisticated universities and colleges around the world. However, in the Liberian context, universities and colleges are still facing difficulties to carry out academic research works and scientific innovations, there is no ISI journal in the entire Republic, and lecturers are not so active in publications; because of lack of proper funding for the research.
Poor Academic Infrastructures
Having said that academic outputs and scientific and technological innovations are among the core aims for which tertiary institutions are established, this can be a mere theory if it is not coupled with physical educational infrastructures.
Liberia’s higher education lacks almost all of these requisites of quality producing qualified scientists and internationally reliable academicians in various disciplines. However, the blame does go to the entire system, never to those who found themselves in the academia, because no matter how professor or lecturer is courageous, if the institution’s facilities are not encouraging, his/her output will not be compared with those who have the needed infrastructures to effectively work.
Health Challenge
It is pertinent to include medical as one of the challenges that tertiary education is faced with in Liberia. For instance, the Ebola virus outbreak affected Liberia education as whole and university study in particular. The outbreak of the virus led the universities and colleges to a total standstill for almost two consecutive semesters which –no doubt –jeopardized the whole system.
Even after Liberia had been declared Ebola free by the WHO Ebola free, the stigma and negative aftermath remain on schools and universities because of poor attendance and other curricular activities.
Sufficient Budget for Education
Higher education in particular requires sufficient financial support to run its affairs: administration, research projects and innovation, upgrading facilities and infrastructures, social services and others. All of these are matters of proper founding with uncompromised commitment from the administration of the university.
Unfortunately, most of universities in the developing world in Africa including Liberia due to lack of adequate funding to achieve what is deemed and expected of higher institutions to do in an academic-wide.
Liberia’s higher education lacks almost all of these requisites of quality producing qualified scientists and internationally reliable academicians in various disciplines. However, the blame does go to the entire system, never to those who found themselves in the academia, because no matter how professor or lecturer is courageous, if the institution’s facilities are not encouraging, his/her output will not be compared with those who have the needed infrastructures to effectively work
Encouraging Private Sector Involvement in Tertiary Education
The current reality suggests that most of the success stories of higher education in the world are indebted to effective partnership between the public and private sector in providing quality tertiary education to the people. For instance, in Malaysia “private sector involvement was the leading part of the higher education reforms.
Moreover, the effective role of the private sector will increase the enrollment rate to tertiary institutions as it would provide seats and lessen burden on the public universities in Liberia. This strategy has yielded fruition in many countries that were facing challenges that Liberia is now confronted with as it is evidence in the statement of Pramath Raj Sinha -the founding dean of the Indian School of Business (the youngest and first Indian B-school to break into the Top 20, according to the Financial Times Global MBA rankings)-when he was asked about challenges of Indian higher education faces. He said“ The problem happened because for a long time we were happy with the public, government-owned system.