By Alexander Nyeneken
LIBERIA – The Chief Administrator of the Liberia Cooperative Standard Education System (LICOSES) Teachers Training College is calling on the government of President George Manneh Weah to declare teachers’ credential audit as a state of emergency across Liberia.
Benjamin Wehye said there is a proliferation of credentials in secondary schools in Liberia as LICOSES is not an exception but his realization is that a lot of people see the classrooms as fallback position whereby the graduated with various business degrees and banks cannot accommodate them, they tend to duplicate certificate in order to go in the classrooms.
According to Mr. Wehye, the issue of credential audit is not just restricted to the education sector but other public sectors needs to be addressed and that is declaring it a state of emergency by the President George Manneh Weah.
Speaking when appeared on a talk show dubbed ‘THE HEAT’ hosted by Kool 91.9 FM in Liberia on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, the Liberian Educator acknowledged that President Weah went to school and obtained degrees after being ridiculed by politicians that he was not educated and qualified to take on the presidency during the 2005 general and presidential elections so he should be the one muster the courage to instruct the Ministry of Education to have this declaration on credential audit.
“There have been instances where people who are not out of high school are in our schools in the rural areas but I can say this to you, that in most instances those are not deliberate actions but we are talking about how dangerous it is,” the LICOSES Boss added.
Mr. Wehye attributed his assertion to countries in East Africa where it was announced that all public institutions must carryout credential audit and those found culpable were dismissed; and same should take place in Liberia.
The LICOSES Chief Administrator further stated that the issue of accountability in the education sector is still a challenge, thereby blaming lawmakers of creating uncertainty in accountability issues because majority of them are running schools.
“Unless we can close the loopholes and ensure that the money going in the sector passes through a single proper channel where we know the amount, the issue of accountability will be resolved,” Benjamin Wehye asserted.
Mr. Wehye maintained that if all of the moneys are directed in the sector zigzag way (not accounted for) and every information about it is made known, then the 20% budget to education in Liberia has now exceeded.
“The capitalization of education has always been the brain behind the establishment of institutions across Liberia’, Mr. Wehye disclosed.