Hundreds of volunteer teachers under the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) are set to staged a peaceful protest today, June 16, 2025, demanding immediate employment and salary inclusion, following what they described as the government’s failure to uphold a signed agreement.
The protest to be organized by the MCSS Volunteer Teachers Association, comes nearly three months after a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on March 27, 2025, between the teachers and key government entities ~ including the Ministry of Education (MoE), the Civil Service Agency (CSA), the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), and the MCSS itself.
According to the agreement, the government committed to two key resolutions:
1. Adjusting salaries to match teachers’ academic credentials by April 2025, and
2. Placing all vetted and verified MCSS volunteer teachers on the government payroll by May 2025.
However, as of June 16, 2025, the association says none of the commitments have been fulfilled.
“Despite undergoing the full vetting and verification process, not a single volunteer teacher has been employed or added to payroll,” the petitioners hinted Verity News “We are being silently dismissed and disrespected while the school system continues to rely heavily on our unpaid labor.”
The volunteer teachers, many of whom have worked for years without compensation, say their action is not an act of defiance but a cry for justice and recognition.
Demands and Grievances
The association has outlined three main demands: a. Immediate employment and payroll placement for all vetted MCSS volunteer teachers.
b. Retroactive payment of salaries and benefits starting from the date initially promised in the MOU.
c. A public update from the government on the current status of the MOU’s implementation.
Support and Solidarity
The protest has drawn support from students, parents, and members of the public, many of whom voiced frustration over the state of the public education system. Observers say the reliance on unpaid volunteer teachers reflects broader challenges within Liberia’s education sector.
The association is urging lawmakers, civil society organizations, and the media to hold the government accountable and ensure transparency in the process.
As it stands, all eyes are on the government’s ministries and agencies that are responsible for said matter to bring to an end salaries difficulties on the professionals ~ teachers and schools’ administrators.
