The Coalition for Transparency and Accountability in Education (COTAE) says it “flabbergasted” by recent comments attributed to Deputy Education Ministry for Administration Latim Dathong that the Ministry lacks the authority to regulate tuition and other fees charged by private schools in the country.
COTOE said it view the statement as not only untrue, but exceptionally disturbing and hope-dashing, as it leaves poor parents and students at the sympathy of private school operators, many of whom have proven to be more concerned about maximizing profit from education.
On Thursday November 11, 2021, while addressing the Ministry of Information weekly Press Briefing in Monrovia, the Deputy Minister of Dathong announced that the Liberian Government, through the Ministry of Education has no authority to regulate fees charged by Private Schools in the Country. Deputy Minister Dathong was responding to public outcry over the hike in tuition and fees by private schools operators
Addressing news conference Wednesday November 17, 2021 Coalition for Transparency and Accountability in Education National Coordinator Anderson Maimen noted that the Minister statement is not just unfortunate, but undermines the very core and existence of the Government, especially the Ministry of Education and other actors overseeing Education associated activities in the Country.
According to Miamen contrary to the Deputy Minister’s comments, the New Education Reform Act of 2011 clearly mandates the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Education to manage and regulate both public and private schools in the Country.
“The oversight and regulatory responsibilities of the Ministry of Education are clearly outlined in relevant chapters and provisions of the New Education Reform Law of Liberia. Chapter 1.4.1 (under general provisions) says that the Act “shall apply to and cover the establishment, management and supervision of All Schools within the Republic of Liberia, including but not limited to all public, private, faith-based, and boarding schools, with the only exceptions, provided for in Section 1.4.2 being military training centers and police/security training institutions” he noted.
The COTOE National Coordinator noted that count “f” under Chapter 2.2.1 (Functions of the Ministry of Education), instructs the Ministry of the Education to Coordinate the education programs administered by the government, the private sector and faith-based educational institutions to ensure standardization and Inexpensive Access and opportunities to education.
Maimen mentioned more significantly, count “g” under Chapter 9 which talks about Education Financing states; that Tuitions and Fees charged by private and Faith-based Schools shall be in accordance with the Guidelines established by the Ministry.
He wonders why the Ministry of Education would say it does not have the authority to regulate fees charged by private school operators despite the availability of legal frameworks mentioned in the 2011 news Education Act.
He said that COTOE is amazed that the Ministry which has over time imposed penalties on schools for violating certain mandates, determine and regulate timelines for school opening and closure; determine minimum qualifications for teachers in private and public schools, to now be arguing that it does not have the authority to regulate fees charged?
COTOE raises Lingering Questions
Miamen raised serious of question with the Ministry including whether the Ministry of Education is informing the Liberian people that Private School Operators are now powerful than the State to the extent that they cannot be regulated, especially fees charged in a Country with many poor students and parents, or the Ministry of Education is telling Liberians and the World that private school operators can charge just any fees, even if it means undermining the “affordable access” requirement and the Right to Education, which is a fundamental Human Right that States are obliged to defend, uphold, and fulfil?
“Has the Ministry lost the regulatory war to so-called power hands and actors in the education space so much so that it is making the public and partners to believe that it has no power to regulate/control tuition and other fees charged by private school operators?
More so, could the Ministry of Education be validating citizens and stakeholders’ concern about the apparent conflict of interest of some senior members of the current leadership who themselves run private Schools and Universities and are thus conflicted and unable to regulate themselves, especially in terms of fees charged?
How more ironical can this be, especially when this is counterproductive to public interest” the COTOE National Coordinator asked.
Maimen indicated that as a longstanding partner and stakeholder in the education sector, COTAE wound like to remind the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Education of its responsibility to at all times to seek public interest and safe them from the cunning tendencies of people he describes as profit-minded private school operators.
He warned that the Ministry cannot neglect its core responsibility to regulate fees charged by private school operators, in the name of not having the power as doing so undermines and defeats the very essence and existence of the State and Government: to seek citizens’ foremost interest and protect them against private interest and the caprices and notions of dishonest individuals and groups in society, especially profit-mongers in the Education Sector
“Let the Ministry of Education know that many parents who send their children to private schools do so because public schools are overcrowded and do not have the required space to accommodate the growing number of students in the country.
So, private schools cannot be allowed to charge just any fees, as though there are adequate and well-funded public schools that can accommodate all school going persons in Liberia, but chose private education for their children” he asserted.
COTOE recommendations:
Anderson Miamen urge the President George Manneh Weah to constitute an independent Committee without the Ministry of Education as head to thoroughly investigate the hike in tuition and other fees charged by private schools owners.
Such independent committee, comprising of representatives from civil society, media, lawyers, educators, and other professional bodies, according Maimen, will thoroughly investigate and report the facts and circumstances regarding hike in tuitions and other fess as well as its implications for the right to education in Liberia to inform appropriate government policy and decisions.
He also wants the Legislature, especially the Committees on Education in the Senate and House of Representatives effectively exercise their oversight responsibilities by conducting their own investigations into reported hike in tuition and other fees by private school operators in Liberia to inform their decisions and actions, the Ministry of Education perform her duties by ensuring supervisory and regulatory authority over private and public schools cover all aspects of their operation, including fees charged for services, and stop giving weak excuses about not having the authority to determine fees charged by private schools, increase the budget for Education to at least 20% to allow for schools to receive the required materials and supplies to effectively and efficiently operates and The Incheon Declaration of 2015 and Dakar Framework of Action, endorsed by Liberia, be upheld and fully implemented by the Liberian Government in increasing National Budgetary support to education, especially in the 2022 Budget.
Maimen indicated that the right to good quality, relevant and inclusive education must be protected in Liberia, especially in these difficult times when several parents and students cannot afford various fees charged, mainly by Private Schools.
The COTOE National Coordinator indicated that given that public schools do not have the required space to accommodate the growing number of school-going population, government should not allow private schools to operate at will as though the decision of many parents to enroll their children into these schools is because they prefer private education.
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