On September 1, Wantoe T. Wantoe a supporter of the Coalition for Democratic Change claimed during a one-hour radio interview on OK FM claimed that “the Unity Party did nothing” to progress the education sector.
We decided to fact check this statement by searching for publicly available statistics on the state of education under the regime of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf or the Unity Party.
We found a 2015 report from the Ministry of Education titled “Education for All Report”.
On page 9 of the 19-page report, the Ministry highlighted key policies and intervention it took in implementing strategies to improve the education system.
The report mentioned Free and Compulsory Basic Education, Girls Education, Education Governance and Teacher Professional Development.
The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration also began the establishment of several community community colleges across the country.
Nimba Community College now the Nimba University was created by an Act of National Legislature on September 16, 2010.
The Bomi Community College was enacted by an act of legislation on September 19 2012.
Lofa Community College established by an Act of Legislation in 2010.
Grand Gedeh County Community College was enacted by an Act of Legislature in 2011.
And Bong County Technical College was created in 2010.
The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration also renovated teacher training institutions in Kakata, Zorzor and Webbo.
Additionally, it was during the Johnson-Sirleaf administration that the new edifice was at the Fendell Campus of the University if Liberia was constructed. Construction began in June 2008, as published in a press release by the government of Liberia at the time and published on AllAfrica.Com.
And in 2016, according to a FrontPage Africa news article, President Sirleaf dedicated the refurbished David a Straz Sinje Technical Vocational College in Sinje, Grand Cape Mount County funded by the late US philanthropic David Straz.
Conclusion
Based on these facts above, it is established that Wantoe’s claim that the Unity Party regime did nothing to progress the education system is incorrect.
This report was developed with the support of Internews through the USAID Media Activity project. The funder has no say in the editorial decision leading to the production of this content.
