KPEKETA, Margibi County — More than 300 primary school children in the remote community of Kpeketa, located in the upper Yahvoo River region of Margibi County District #4, are attending classes in an incomplete and unsafe building, with no access to basic learning materials or qualified instructors.
The school, which serves as the only educational facility in the area, operates under extremely poor conditions. With just two teachers — one male and one female — overseeing the entire student body, education quality has become a growing concern for residents.
Even more troubling, the female teacher reportedly has only a fifth-grade education, while the male teacher is a ninth-grade dropout, raising serious questions about the standard of instruction being offered to the children.
Parents say they are unable to provide essential school supplies for their children, many of whom walk long distances to attend classes. The situation is further compounded by the lack of basic public services in the area — there is no access to safe drinking water and no clinic nearby to attend to the children’s health needs.
“We are trying our best as parents, but we are helpless,” said one community member. “Our children are sitting on the bare floor in an unfinished building, being taught by people who themselves never completed school.”
Residents say their concerns have long been ignored by political leaders. According to locals, politicians often visit Kpeketa during election campaigns, promising improvements to infrastructure and public services. However, those promises remain unfulfilled long after the votes are counted.
The community falls under the representation of District #4 Representative Emmanuel O. Yarh, who, according to residents, has not addressed the dire state of education in the area.
“The politicians come here when they need our votes,” said one elder. “After that, we don’t see them again. The school our children are in is a shame to any serious government.”
The condition of the Kpeketa primary school highlights broader systemic failures in Liberia’s rural education sector. Community members are urgently appealing to both the Ministry of Education and Representative Yarh to take concrete steps to improve conditions.
Their demands include:
* Deployment of qualified and trained teachers
* Completion of a safe and functional school building
* Provision of clean water and basic health services
* Supply of educational materials and teaching resources
As the school year progresses, hundreds of Kpeketa’s children remain in limbo — hopeful for a future that depends on promises yet to be kept.
