The Stream

Liberia’s failing grade

After years of civil war, how can the country rebuild its crippling education system?

A photograph shows students of the Monrovia Elementary Demonstration School during a class in Monrovia, Liberia 14 June 2013. (EPA/AHMED JALLANZO)

Liberia received a failing grade in August when all 25,000 of the country’s high school students did not pass the state university entrance exam. No one expected any of them to be a part of the freshman 2013 class. However, the University of Liberia allowed 1,600 of those failed students to enter on probation for remedial courses when classes began on October 2nd. So, how will they manage? How much of an impact did the country’s 14-year-long civil war have on the current education record and what can be done to get it back on track? Join the conversation at 19:30 GMT.

In this episode of The Stream, we speak with: 

Dr. Michael Slawon
Director General of the National Commission on Higher Education

Robtel Pailey 
Liberian writer
 
Dorbor Jallah 
Consultant/ exam proctor, University of Liberia
 
James Kollie
Liberian student

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