The current situation at the Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC) has created an impasse of instability as hundreds of students continue to fight for the availability of teachers, learning materials, and improved conditions.
It was a slap in the face of education especially for the vocational sector when what is believed as a peanut funding of just 4,000 United States Dollars was budgeted for the Monrovia Vocational Training Center (MVTC) to run the institution for a whole year.
The Monrovia Vocation Training Center located on the Somalia Drive, Paynesville Monrovia, was established to train young people in Liberia, enabling them to work in a modern society. The MVTC is a Government Institution to empower youth in Liberia.
Despite the huge responsibility given to the institution, many Liberians were shocked as the Government of Liberia under President Joseph Boakai budgeted and approved a very decimal amount of US$4K for the operation of the institution.
This amount according to insiders is insufficient to cater to the financial needs of the institution especially with the huge task, which is to train hundreds of young Liberians with various vocational and technical training programs.
As the result, the institution has been faced with severe logistical, learning environment and lack of teachers’ problems.
Since the passage of the budget with such decimal allocation for it, the MVTC has been signalling its inability to continue to provide training programs for young people due to the limited budget.
The situation which has casted dark cloud on the smooth operation of MVTC has led to dissatisfactions among students as well as administration and staff at the institution.
Lack of teachers, learning materials and proper conditions have prompted students to launch a massive protest which saw road blocks, slow movement, thus affecting economic activities along the Somalia Drive Road in Paynesville
On Wednesday, November 13, hundreds of students of MVTC staged an unexpected protest against what they see as impediments against their training programs.
The Somalia Drive massive demonstration which saw hundreds of students at Liberia’s largest vocational center, MVTC, was intended to vent their anger in demand of teachers, learning materials, and improved conditions.
Meanwhile, the government of Liberia, owner of the learning institution is yet to make any definite decision as to whether or not it intends to subsidize the entity.
The current situation at hand will see hundreds of young Liberians denied from acquiring technical and vocational skills- a path detrimental to the growth and development of youth.
As it is generally considered that vocational and technical skills training programs are cardinal to human capital, the aggrieved students believe it must not be treated lightly.
The MVTC Students action which is a demonstration of their quest to lean is coming at a time when there have been reports of corruption impeding very fabric of Liberia.
The students have however voiced to remained steadfast in their protest action until their request are met.
