By: Morlu F. Freeman Sr.
The Ministry of Education has convened a county-level dialogue focused on the National Policy on Girls’ Education in Lofa County.
The event, themed “Bringing the Policy Home: Supporting Girls’ Education Through Community Efforts,”attracted a diverse audience, including county officials, educators, and representatives from various organizations dedicated to advancing girls’ education.
The event was endorsed by key stakeholders, including Garmai Kennedy, the, Executive Director of the YEZEBU organization.
With a vision of ensuring educational opportunities for girls in Lofa County and throughout Liberia, she expressed gratitude towards MOE and its partners, such as OXFAM Denmark, HOPE, and PAYOWI, for their collaboration in the “Educate Her”. advocacy campaign.
Among other things, the joint effort has been instrumental in promoting gender equity and equality in education, significantly raising awareness about the importance of gender equality in Liberia’s educational landscape.
The dialogue also underscored the need to update the 2006 National Policy on Girls’ Education to reflect Liberia’s current context, particularly in light of the 2011 Education Reform Act, which mandates free and compulsory education up to the 9th grade.
This led to the formulation of a revised policy in 2013 and the more recent 2021 National Policy on Girls’ Education, designed to align with the provisions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established in 2015 and the Education 2030 Incheon Declaration.
The 2021 policy highlights various components essential for promoting girls’ education, including: Vision and goals, Key objectives and statistics regarding the current educational landscape, Guiding principles and a comprehensive policy framework for girls’ education in Liberia and Strategies addressing social and cultural barriers to education.
Others include; Initiatives for improving access and quality of education, programs aimed at girls’ retention and completion rates, Emphasis on girls’ rights and protection, An institutional framework to support these initiatives and Provisions for monitoring, evaluation, and financing of the policy.
Moreover, the initiative is also part of commitment to enhancing girls’ education, as the Ministry f Education aims to improve women’s access to vocational training, science, technology, and adult literacy programs.
The ministry also plans to develop policies that equip women with skills essential for entering the labor market, alongside providing non-formal education opportunities for girls and women.
Furthermore, MOE encourages collaboration among publishers, teachers, public authorities, and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to create inclusive curricula, textbooks, and teaching materials that eliminate gender-based stereotypes.
At the same time, The ministry will offer training programs to help educators adopt gender-sensitive teaching strategies, thereby acknowledging the contributions of both women and men in families and society.
At the ceremony, Local authorities in Lofa County expressed appreciation to YEZEBU and other implementing partners for their commitment to promoting gender equality in Liberia.
They emphasized the importance of sustaining these efforts not only within Lofa County but also extending them to other regions.
Meanwhile, The dialogue represents a significant step forward in ensuring that the National Policy on Girls’ Education is effectively integrated into the local context.
By fostering collaborative efforts and aligning educational policies with the needs of the community, the Ministry of Education and its partners are setting the stage for a more equitable future for girls’ education in Liberia.
