CHALLENGES OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN LIBERIA AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Abstract

Liberia is confronted with lots of challenges such as preparing a productive human capital to run its abundant natural resources that have been either mismanaged or left discarded without anticipated development dividends.  Thus, this migration left an adverse effect on the tertiary education. However, despite the international and national efforts reform the system, the situation seems to still be facing multiple challenges. Besides, the weakness in the Liberian education system has led the former President Sirleaf herself to describe it as a mess. Moreover, poor implementation of educational policies, ill-financial supports for institutions of higher learning and poor educational infrastructures, etc., are some of major practices that constitute challenges to higher education in the country. Nonetheless, there have been some attempts and endeavors to reform and refine the system. These efforts had been done by the government itself and its local and international partners, such as USAID, the World Bank, the (IMF), the AFDB, A.S Charitable Society with its Heritage School Union System (a local Islamic leading educational and humanitarian NGO) Catholic Schools System, Methodist Schools, and others. The research is qualitatively conducted and observatory in nature. Hence, this article aims at looking into challenges that Liberia’s tertiary education is confronted with, and how could they be mitigated and properly addressed. The study conclude that a radical reform and implementation of the policies are the’ ways to meet the market-driven education system in Liberia.