Monrovia, Liberia–A 2025 performance report between the periods of April 6, 2023, to July 2, 2024, from the General Auditing Commission (GAC) has revealed that the Ministry of Education (MOE) has made little or no progress in implementing key reforms intended to strengthen Liberia’s Free and Compulsory Primary Education Program.
The follow-up performance audit, tabled before the National Legislature, found that out of ten critical recommendations issued in 2017, only one was fully implemented, three were partially addressed, and six were entirely ignored, representing a 60% non-implementation rate.
According to the GAC performance report, the audit was conducted to assess how effectively the Ministry has managed public resources and whether it is fulfilling its obligation to provide quality education for all children in Liberia.
Despite the Ministry citing achievements under donor-supported programs like the Improving Results in Secondary Education (IRISE) and Liberia Learning Foundation (LLF), the report shows that these efforts have had minimal impact on the ground.
At Martha Tubman Elementary in Sanniquellie and Kpanay Town Public School in Buchanan, auditors witnessed children sitting on floors and class sizes exceeding the recommended 45-student threshold, some with more than 100 students per classroom.
The report also revealed that the compulsory aspect of primary education remains largely unenforced.
Children were found selling goods and engaging in street activities during school hours, while some schools were still charging illegal fees for ID cards, maintenance, and other costs, despite the program being declared free by the government.
Further findings include a chronic shortage of instructional materials, absence of libraries, inadequate teacher training, and the lack of effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
No evidence was found of student-led performance evaluations of teachers, and collaboration between PTAs and education officers was virtually nonexistent.
One of the few areas where partial progress was noted involved curriculum distribution.
The report further indicated that while the Ministry claimed it had distributed the WAEC syllabus and academic calendars, eight of the 80 schools visited reported never receiving them, and the MOE had no system in place to verify their proper use.
In its conclusion, the GAC emphasized that the Ministry’s failure to act on its recommendations has undermined the quality and accessibility of education in the country.
“The Ministry made limited progress toward the implementation of audit recommendations,” the report stated, calling for urgent and decisive government action.
Education stakeholders, civil society groups, and development partners are now urging the government to prioritize education sector reforms, invest in school infrastructure, ensure accountability, and enforce policies that uphold every Liberian child’s right to free and quality education.
