Ed_Sector_-G2B-ESP_v7_Full_FINAL_15Dec.pdf

Ministry of Education Republic of Liberia

Getting to Best Education Sector Plan 2017-2021

Full version

DRAFT 7.0

www.moe.gov.lr

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

President’s Foreword

Minister’s Foreword

Executive Summary

Introduction

Recent achievements

Challenges

Strategic response

Programs

Development of the G2B-ESP

Chapter 1 Country context

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Timeframe

1.3 Political geography

1.4 Demographic and social context

1.5 Fragility and vulnerability

1.5 Government finances

1.6 Development vision

Chapter 2 Education sector context

2.1 Structure

2.2 Government and non-government schools

2.3 Governance

2.4 Public education expenditure

2.5 Priorities and plans

2.6 Achievements

Chapter 3 Challenges

3.1 Access

3.2 Quality and relevance

Chapter 4 Strategic response

4.1 Theory of change

4.2 Evidence base and consultations

4.3 Vision, goal, impact and strategies

4.4 Program components

4.5 High-level and program outcomes

Chapter 5 School Quality Program

5.1 Summary

5.2 Introduction

5.3 Legal and policy context

5.4 Achievements

5.5 Challenges

5.6 School Quality Program

Chapter 6 Education Management and Accountability Program

6.1 Summary

6.2 Introduction

6.3 Achievements

6.4 Challenges

6.5 Education Management and Accountability Program

Chapter 7 Early Childhood Education Program

7.1 Summary

7.2 Introduction

7.3 Policy and legal context

7.4 Achievements

7.5 Challenges

7.6 Early Childhood Education Program

Chapter 8 Overage and Out-of-School Program

8.1 Summary

8.2 Introduction

8.3 Legal and policy context

8.4 Achievements

8.5 Challenges

8.6 Overage & Out-of-School Program

Chapter 9 Teacher Education & Management Program

9.1 Summary

9.2 Introduction

9.3 Legal and policy context

9.4 Achievements

9.5 Challenges

9.6 Teacher Education & Management Program

Chapter 10 Curriculum & Assessment Program

10.1 Summary

10.2 Introduction

10.3 Legal and policy context

10.4 Achievements

10.5 Challenges

10.6 Curriculum & Assessment Program

Chapter 11 Student Well-being Program

11.1 Summary

11.2 Introduction

11.3 Legal and policy context

11.4 Achievements

11.5 Challenges

11.6 Student Well-being Program

Chapter 12 Technical and Vocational Education and Training Program

12.1 Summary

12.2 Introduction

12.3 Legal and policy context

12.4 Achievements

12.5 Challenges

12.6 Technical and Vocational Education and Training Program

Chapter 13 Higher Education Program

13.1 Summary

13.2 Introduction

13.3 Legal and policy context

13.4 Achievements

13.5 Challenges

13.6 Higher Education Program

Chapter 14 Financing the G2B-ESP

14.1 Introduction

14.2 Budget projections

14.3 Projected efficiency gains

14.4 Development partner contributions

14.5 Other contributions to education sector activities

14.6 G2B-ESP budget

Annex

Annex 1 Intermediate results framework

Annex 2 Operational planning, monitoring and reporting process

Annex 3 Summary of teacher, principal and education officer professional development

Annex 4 Summary of research trials and studies

Annex 5 Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets and indicators

Annex 6 G2B-ESP risk matrix

Annex 7 Communication strategy

Annex 8 Student and teacher projections

References

Table of Figures

Figure 1-1 Regions and counties of Liberia

Figure 1-2 GDP trends and projections

Figure 2-1 Structure of the formal education system

Figure 2-2 Ministry of Education organogram

Figure 2-3 Share of education expenditure in overall expenditure in selected countries, latest available data

Figure 3-1 Age of primary school students, all primary schools, 2015

Figure 4-1 G2B-ESP theory of change diagram for improving learning outcomes in ECE and basic education

Figure 4-2 Example program map for improving learning outcomes in ECE and basic education schools (selected components)

Figure 5-1 Percentage of female students by grade, 2015

Figure 5-2 Average age of students per level, disaggregated by school ownership and level, Figure 5-3 Average age per grade, all schools, 2008, 2012 and 2016

Figure 7-1 Age profile in ECE schools by grade and type of provider, 2015

Figure 8-1 Grade survival in ratio: Grades 1-9, 2007 and 2013

Figure 8-2 Average age of students per grade between 2008 and 2016

Figure 9-1 Pupil-Qualified Teacher Ratio (PQTR) in public primary schools, 2015

Figure 9-2 Unqualified primary teachers by county, 2015

Figure 10-1 Grade 9 pass rates by type of provider, disaggregated by gender, 2014

Figure 10-2 WAEC LSHSCE pass rates by county, 2014

Figure 11-1 Male and female enrolment by grade, 2015

Figure 11-2 Primary school net intake rate (NIR) by county and gender, 2015

Figure 11-3 Education attainment by gender and age group, 2014

Figure 12-1 Education and employment TVET pathways

Figure 13-1 Transfers to HEIs 2013-2016, USD

Figure 13-2 University of Liberia funding, 2013-16, USD

Figure 13-3 Tertiary gross enrollment ratio by quintile, 2014/15

Table of Tables

Table 0-1 Strategic response, programs and chapters

Table 0-2 Program components and responsibilities

Table 1-1 Education analysis and planning documents

Table 1-2 Timeframe of G2B-ESP

Table 2-1 Number of schools, by ownership

Table 2-2 Gross enrolment ratio by education level (%)

Table 2-3 Partnership Schools for Liberia summary

Table 3-1 Number of Out-of-School children

Table 3-2 Grade 2 student enrolment and enrolment share by age, all primary schools 2015

Table 3-3 Pupil-Qualified Teacher Ratio, all counties, all ECE, primary and secondary schools, 2015

Table 4-1 Consultation schedule for G2B-ESP

Table 4-2 G2B-ESP mission, vision, goal, impact and programs

Table 4-3 Program components and responsibilities

Table 4-4 High-level and program outcomes

Table 5-1 Student enrollment, grade and type of school in basic and secondary education, Table 5-2 Male and female student enrollment by county, 2015

Table 5-3 Percentage of schools with solid structures, water supply and functioning toilets, Table 5-4 School principals by sex and type of school, 2015

Table 5-5 Schools reporting an operational SMC and PTA, by type of school, 2015

Table 5-6 School quality interventions in Liberia

Table 6-1 MoE regular and supplementary payroll, 2015/16

Table 6-2 Share of education budget for each level of education 2012-15

Table 6-3 Unit cost by level of education

Table 6-4 Cost of workforce reform priorities

Table 7-1 ECE enrolment by grade and type of provider, 2015

Table 7-2 Number and % of early childhood education overage students by county and gender, 2015

Table 7-3 ECE schools by type of provider, 2015

Table 7-4 ECE teaching workforce by type of provider, 2015

Table 7-5 Qualified ECE teacher ratios, 2015

Table 8-1 Out-of-school children and young people, 2015

Table 8-2 Number and percentage of at age and overage children at primary school by county and gender, 2015

Table 8-3 ALP and ABE enrolment, public schools, 2015

Table 9-1 Teacher workforce by sector and type of school, all schools, unadjusted for multi-grade teachers

Table 9-2 Teacher workforce by gender and level of school, all schools

Table 9-3 Number and share of qualified teachers by level, all schools, 2015

Table 9-4 Unit cost for teacher training

Table 10-1 Percentage of primary and high schools using the national curriculum, 2015 .. 155

Table 10-2 Percentage of SH schools using the WAEC syllabus, 2015

Table 10-3 National curriculum & WAEC curriculum, by grade, subject and date revised . 156

Table 10-4 Student/textbook ratio in primary and secondary schools, Language Arts and Mathematics, 2015

Table 11-1 Teacher workforce by gender and level of school, public schools, 2015

Table 12-1 Enrollment in TVET institutions by provider, 2015

Table 12-2 Enrollment in TVET institutions by area of specialization, 2015

Table 13-1 Student enrollment by major, 2009/10 to 2011/12

Table 13-2 Student-Faculty Ratio, higher education institutions with more than 500 students, Table 14-1 Education expenditure actual and projections, 2012/13-2019/21, USD

Table 14-2 Education sub-sector projections, 2016/17-2020/21 USD

Table 14-3 Ministry of Education budget projections by expenditure type excluding higher education and Monrovia Consolidated School System, 2016/17-2019/20, USD

Table 14-4 Development expenditure projection, 2016-2021, USD

Table 14-5 Annual efficiency saving projections redirected to G2B-ESP priorities, USD ... 214

Table 14-6 Estimated MoE contribution to G2B-ESP activities, 2017-2021, USD

Table 14-7 Selected education sector development partners and donors

Table 14-8 Financial projections of G2B-ESP MoE contribution

Table 14-9 G2B-ESP program budget, USD

Table 14-10 Funding gap after MoE and partner program commitments

Table 14-11 G2B-ESP budget per component, USD

Table 0-1 Intermediate results framework

Table 0-2 Annual operational planning and reporting cycle (proposed)

Table 0-3 Timetable for Year 1 Operational Plan development

Table 0-4 SDG4-Education 2030 Indicators and Intended Reporting

Table 0-5 Selected major communications activities

Abbreviations

AfT Agenda for Transformation

AE Alternative Education

CEO County Education Officer

COTAE Coalition for Transparency and Accountability in Education

CPD Continuous Professional Development

CSA Civil Service Agency

CSB County School Board

CSE Comprehensive Sexuality Education

DEO District Education Officer

ECE Early Child Education

EDU Education Delivery Unit

EGLA Early Grade Literacy Assessment

EGMA Early Grade Mathematics Assessment

EGRA Early Grade Reading Assessment

EMIS Education Management Information System

ESA Education Sector Analysis

G2B-ESP Getting to Best Education Sector Plan

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GEEAP Gender-Equitable Education and Achievement Program

GOAL Girls’ Opportunities to Access Learning

GoL Government of Liberia

GPE Global Partnership for Education

IMTTF Inter-Ministerial TVET Taskforce

LiTCOM Liberia TVET Commission

LNQF Liberia National Qualifications Framework

LJHSCE Liberia Junior High School Certificate Examination

LTTP Liberia Teacher Training Program

MoE Ministry of Education

MFDP Ministry of Finance and Development Planning

MYS Ministry of Youth and Sports

NTAL National Teachers’ Association of Liberia

NCHE National Commission on Higher Education

NGO Non-governmental organization

PQTR Pupil-Qualified Teacher Ratio

PSL Partnership Schools for Liberia

PTA Parent Teacher Association

RTTI Rural Teacher Training Institute

SBM School-Based Management

SDG Sustainable Development Goal

SGBV Sexual and gender-based violence

SIP School Improvement Plan

SQA School Quality Assessments

STEM Science, technology, engineering and mathematics

TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

USAID United States Agency for International Development

VPL Ventilated pit latrine

WAEC West African Examinations Council

WASSCE West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination

WFP World Food Programme

Acknowledgements We are grateful to the Minister of Education, Hon. George Kronnisanyon Werner, Deputy Ministers and Assistant Ministers, Directors, Supervisors, County and District Education Officers, and all Ministry staff for their cooperation and contributions made to enable the team design and develop this plan. We give our thanks to our colleagues at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, National Commission for Higher Education, Civil Service Agency, Ministry of Youth and Sports and other Ministries for their support.

Special thanks go to our domestic and international development partners: UNICEF, Global Partnership for Education, USAID, OSF, European Union, World Bank, World Food Program, Mary’s Meals, UNESCO, UNFPA, Vitol Foundation, Big Win Philanthropy, Mulago Foundation, Jasmin Foundation, Ark, and the many non-governmental organization partners who contributed ideas and insights through the Education Sector Development Committee and NGO Forum. We acknowledge the contribution of the National Commission for Higher Education and West African Examinations Council. We also thank our partner faith-based and private school operators who provide education to many of our children and young people and to our teachers through the National Teachers’ Association of Liberia.

The development of the plan was funded through a sector plan preparation grant from the Global Partnership for Education with technical advice from the World Bank. Development of the G2B-ESP was led by civil servants from the Department of Planning, Research and Development.

Gbovadeh Gbilia

Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Chair of the Education Sector Development Committee

President’s Foreword Our children and young people are the future we want for Liberia. Their education is the responsibility of all of us: parents, grandparents, communities and the Government.

We work towards a vision for education in Liberia where every child can go to school, where there is a quality teacher in every classroom, and where children achieve a good standard of learning. We have a vision of education for young people where they can access relevant quality education and training which improves their skills for livelihoods and work. We have this vision because education is the foundation of development.

Despite the many challenges we face, Liberia has made progress in improving education as we work towards the goal of education for all. In 2011, through the Education Reform Act, we enshrined compulsory free basic education (up to Grade 9). The national teacher verification exercise is removing the ghost teachers who have diverted resources from our children’s education. We have led the world in innovations in improving early grade literacy and experimenting with partnership schools. Our education system has recovered from the scourge of the Ebola epidemic.

The new Getting to Best Education Sector Plan 2017-2021 continues these reforms, progress and innovation, delivering on the priorities identified by education stakeholders in consultations through the Joint Education Sector Review and Education Round Table. It will help us move towards the goals of the Agenda for Transformation and Sustainable Development Goal 4 to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.’ With this plan, we take steps to gradually removing fees for early childhood, begin to regularly inspect schools, train thousands of teachers and develop a new national curriculum for the 21st century.

I wish to thank the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth and Sport, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Civil Service Agency and the many education officers, teachers and educators who contributed to the G2B-ESP. I acknowledge the support of our many development partners and local and international non-government organizations who continue to support education in Liberia. I also thank the many faith-based partners and private schools who provide education for our children. Truly, it takes a country to educate a child.

The Government of Liberia is committed to the funding and delivery of the G2B-ESP and approves the plan for implementation.

Minister’s Foreword The Getting to Best Education Sector Plan 2017-21 is the culmination of 14 months of analysis, consultation and planning. It builds on the achievements and lessons of the last decade and the vision of our teachers, principals and education officers.

Since we started work on the Getting to Best agenda we have removed many ghost teachers from the payroll, started the Partnership Schools for Liberia, conducted the most successful annual school census, and provided school improvement grants to over 2,500 schools. In the last few years, with the help of our development partners, we have built new schools and hundreds of toilets and water systems. We have provided 340,000 reading books and over a million textbooks. The B certificate teacher training program has restarted.

We have restructured and downsized the Ministry and recruited new District Education Officers. Every day over 400,000 children are fed.

But we face many challenges: limited resources, many schools still without decent water or toilets, many teachers without certificates, principals who need training, a TVET sector which doesn’t prepare students for livelihoods and work, and large numbers of children who are too old for their grade or who drop out or never attend school. Despite our efforts, learning outcomes are poor.

The G2B-ESP will drive reforms right down to the school level as we try to tackle these many problems. What changes will you see in schools?

• Gradually, ECE fees will be reduced to ensure all children can attend kindergarten

• More trained teachers: 1,000 new C certificate graduates, 2,500 in-service

Accelerated C teachers, 600 new B certificate teachers, 3,000 C ECE teachers and a clean, strong payroll

• Every school receiving at least one inspection visit per year

• New national curriculum syllabi for English and Math and national assessments for

Grade 3 and 6

• Construction of hundreds of new toilets and water systems

• Special programs for overage and out-of-school children to get every child in school

• New national certificate for Agriculture and strengthening our TVET institutions and trainers

• Improved quality assurance in higher education with stronger connections to international universities

The Government will invest more in ECE and primary education, cutting inequitable subsidies and redirecting resources to the foundation grades of education. We will invest in teachers and the systems needed to monitor the performance of the education system. We will invest in the most disadvantaged areas first, and the most vulnerable children first.

We cannot make this journey alone. Our development partners have been closely involved in the development of the plan: their resources will be added to ours. I thank them for their commitment and support. I call on every education officer, every teacher, every principal, every parent and every student to do their part in implementing the G2B-ESP.

As per my authority under the Education Reform Act (2011), I approve this plan for implementation in all schools from July 1st 2017.

Hon. George Kronnisanyon Werner, Minister of Education, Republic of Liberia

Executive Summary Introduction

Liberia’s future depends on improving the quality and equity of our education system: to educate, inspire, train and develop our children and young people to continue the rebuilding of our country. We will invest in our teachers, schools and institutions to increase access to education and improve the quality of teaching and learning.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has developed a four-year education sector plan (ESP) to address the most urgent challenges facing the education sector in Liberia: Getting to Best Education Sector Plan (G2B-ESP). The MoE will use the G2B-ESP to implement a series of strategic, evidence-based, and innovative programs to measurably improve the quality and relevance of teaching and learning for all students by June 2021.

The G2B-ESP is based on the priorities identified in the Getting to Best Roadmap and

Priorities 2015-2017 (2015), uses the latest data available, and builds on the achievements and learning from the previous Education Sector Plan 2010-2020. It includes on-going or planned activities which align with the Getting to Best priorities and implements the national development priorities in the Agenda for Transformation (2015-2017) and Liberia Rising:

Vision 2030.

Recent achievements

The MoE and its partners have launched a series of new laws, policies, programs and pilots to improve education access and quality in the last five years.

• New Education Reform Act to drive reforms

In 2011, a new education law strengthened the right to quality education, restructured the MoE, introduced country school systems and set up the National Education

Advisory Board to improve accountability and decision making.

• Restructure of the Ministry of Education to improve efficiency

In 2015, the MoE central office was re-structured to align with the Education Reform

Act (2011). This reduced the number of the central office employees from 936 to 425 staff.

• Implementation of teacher payroll verification to improve resource allocation

The on-going teacher payroll verification has identified ‘ghost’ teachers who can be removed from the payroll, saving money and improving the status of the profession.

• Literacy and numeracy training and resources for primary teachers

Between 2010 and 2015, over 11,000 early grade teachers were trained through pre-service, in-service and coaching modalities in early grade literacy and numeracy to improve the teaching of foundation skills. Teaching resources, such as scripted lessons and decodable readers, were included in the training packages. In addition,

1.4 million textbooks were distributed for G1-9 students.

• Provision of annual school grants to primary schools

From 2011, all primary schools received an annual grant to support improvements in teaching and learning by replacing school fees.

• ‘B’ certificate teacher training program to increase supply of secondary teachers

To address the shortage of trained junior secondary teachers, MoE has established a

‘B’ certificate in-service teacher training program. Secondary student enrolment has continued to increase.

• Partnership Schools for Liberia (PSL) intervention to trial innovations to improve basic education

MoE has entered into public-private partnerships with non-government organizations and providers to manage 94 Government ECE and primary schools (approximately

25,000 students) for three years from the 2016/17 academic year. An evaluation of the PSL is expected to identify lessons which can be shared across the education sector.

• Development of the National Policy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to improve coordination and strategic direction

The President established an Inter-Ministerial TVET Taskforce (IMTTF) to drive improvement in the TVET sector in 2014. The IMTTF has completed the national policy and identified key priorities for action.

Challenges

The education sector faces a complex series of interrelated challenges, mostly related to the rebuilding and recovery from civil war, constrained national finances, poor infrastructure and, more recently, the Ebola epidemic. There is an increasing demand for education at all levels, particularly for quality livelihoods education for young women and men.

• Learning outcomes remain below MoE expectations. Pass rates among students taking the West African Examination Certificate (WAEC) Grade 9 and Grade 12 examinations in 2014 were 60% and 47% respectively, representing declines from previous years. In addition, the reading levels of students in early primary grades are below MoE benchmarks. A literacy assessment conducted in 2014 found that Grade 3 students’ oral reading fluency in English was below 20 correct words per minute, which is significantly lower than the MoE benchmark of 45 correct words.1 The quality of teaching and learning in all education sectors are a major concern.

• Overage enrolment is a critical issue affecting access to quality education in ECE classes and all primary and secondary grades. Over 74% of ECE students, 82% of primary students and 85% of secondary school students are over-aged for their grade (EMIS 2015). Each grade enrolls a wide-age range of students. For example, there are more 10, 11 and 12 years old students enrolled in Grade 2 than seven-year olds, which is the correct age group for this grade. Overage enrolment exacerbates drop-out rates, which in turn increases the need for alternative education programming

(UNICEF 2012).

• There are large numbers of out-of-school children and children who do not attend school regularly. The main reasons for children not accessing basic education are: (i) school fees and expenses; (ii) unofficial grade entrance examinations; (iii) distance to school; and, (iv) poverty and rural status. Most children with disabilities do not attend school. School fees and indirect costs as the major barrier to access and cause of students dropping out.

• Girls and women are underrepresented at all educational levels and in the teaching force. Just 26% of teachers are female. In addition, several recent studies have found high prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence in Liberian schools.

• “Ghost” teachers and unskilled teachers are wasting scarce government resources, undermining MoE efforts to improve quality and negatively affecting staff morale and public trust in the teaching profession. Based on the on-going teacher verification exercise, the MoE estimates there may be around 2,250 ghost teachers on the payroll, as well as a large number of teachers with fake qualifications.

A related problem is the number of teachers who are overpaid and underpaid due to a range of teacher management-related problems.2

• While the MoE is employing more qualified teachers than ever before, many teachers are unqualified. 50% of ECE staff and only 62% of primary school teachers are qualified, and less than 34% of junior and senior high school teachers hold

1 Hobbs, J. and Davidson, M. (2015). Expanding EGRA: The Early Grade Literacy Assessment and its contribution to language instruction in Liberia. Presentation at UKFIET 2015. WAEC Presentation. Joint Education Sector Review 2015.

2 Campbell, D. (2015). Teacher Verification Report: Montserrado, Bong, and Nimba counties. MoE/LTTP.

minimum qualifications for their positions (EMIS 2015). In addition, Continuous

Professional Development is irregular or non-existent in many areas.

• There are no national school quality standards in place for basic education schools in Liberia. This makes it difficult for country and district education officers, parents and community leaders to demand accountability from school principals and teachers.

• Capacity and resourcing at county and district levels requires significant improvement, especially in enabling sub-national officers to monitor education quality. A high turnover of staff, a lack of professional training, guidance and tools, and insufficient resourcing are collectively undermining the effectiveness of County and District education offices – leaving schools, principals and teachers unsupported and unaccountable.3

• There are serious equity challenges facing the education sector in Liberia. There are major inequalities in education access, participation and learning outcomes by gender, urban-rural status, county of residence and household socio-economic status.

In addition, disparities in the public resourcing of education and training is evident in major differences in key indicators by county and urban-rural status, such as pupil-qualified teacher ratio and student-classroom ratios. Education expenditure at the primary level, and the share of the national budget allocated to education, is low compared with international benchmarks.

3 Ministry of Education (MoE) (2016). Ministry of Education Annual Report 2015. Monrovia: MoE USAID.

(2013).MID-TERM ASSESSMENT OF THE LIBERIA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM PHASE II. European Union. (2014). Ex-Post Evaluation of the EC support to Education in Liberia (ECSEL).

Strategic response

Following a comprehensive analysis of both high-level and sub-sector challenges, the MoE has identified interlinked strategies that will be implemented over the next four years (Table

0-1).

Table 0-1 Strategic response, programs and chapters

Strategies Program Chapter

1 Establish an effective school quality improvement and accountability system

School Quality Program 5

2 Improve the efficiency and performance of education management system

Education Management & Accountability Program

3 Improve access to quality ECE Early Childhood Education Program

4 Provide quality alternative and accelerated education pathways for overage and out-of-school children and young people

Overage and Out-of- School Program

5 Improve the efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction of the teaching workforce

Teacher Education & Management Program

6 Ensure that teachers have access to quality instructional materials and assessment tasks

Curriculum & Assessment Program

7 Mainstream gender and school health across the education sector

Student Well-being Program

8 Improve the quality and relevance of technical and vocational education and training

Technical and Vocational Education and Training Program

9 Leverage regional and international partnerships and expertise, target market demand for critical skills and increase the efficiency of education expenditure

Higher Education Program

Programs

The MoE will prioritize and focus all available human and financial resources on the successful implementation of nine programs over the next four years to achieve strategic change. Each program consists of a number of components and activities whose delivery is the responsibility of specific MoE senior officers (Table 0-2).

Table 0-2 Program components and responsibilities

G2B-ESP Program and component

Lead officer(s) Supporting officer(s)

Strategy 1 Establish an effective school quality improvement and accountability system

Program 1 School Quality Program Deputy Minister for Administration

Components 1. Establish School Quality Standards

Deputy Minister for Instruction

Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Assistant Minister for Basic and Secondary Education

Assistant Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Director, Policy Formulation and Implementation

Director, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

2. School Improvement and Grants system

Assistant Minister for General Administration

Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Assistant Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Comptroller

Budget Officer

3. Principals’ Leadership Program

Deputy Minister for Instruction

Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Assistant Minister for Fiscal Affairs and Human Resource Development

Director, Professional Development

Director, Human

G2B-ESP Program and component

Lead officer(s) Supporting officer(s) Resources

4. Increase the proportion of ECE, basic and secondary schools with toilets and safe water

Assistant Minister for General Administration

Director, Physical Environment

Director, School Health and Physical Education

Strategy 2 Improve the efficiency and performance of education management system

Program 2 Education Management & Accountability Program

Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Components 1. Education Delivery Unit and education partnerships

Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Assistant Minister for Fiscal Affairs and Human Resource Development

Director, Human Resources

Donor Coordinator

2. Workforce reform Assistant Minister for Fiscal Affairs and Human Resource Development

Assistant Minister for Teacher Education

Director, Professional Development

Director, Human Resources

3. School inspection Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Assistant Minister, Planning, Research and Development

Director, Research, EMIS, Statistics and Demographics

4. Support and accountability at decentralized levels

Deputy Minister for Instruction

Assistant Minister for Fiscal Affairs and Human Resource

Comptroller component

Lead officer(s) Supporting officer(s)

5. Sector planning, monitoring, budgeting and finance strengthening

Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Deputy Minister for Administration

Assistant Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Director, Research, EMIS, Statistics and Demographics

Director, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

Comptroller

Strategy 3 Improve access to quality ECE

Program 3 Early Childhood Education Program

Deputy Minister for Instruction

Components 1. ECE public awareness campaign and outreach to families and communities about the value of ECE and good parenting skills

Assistant Minister for Early Childhood Education

ECE Specialists

Director, Communications

Director, Parent and Community Engagement and National Dropout Prevention

2. Roll out ECE certification and training for teachers through Rural Teacher Training Institutes, colleges and universities

Assistant Minister for Early Childhood Education

Assistant Minister for Teacher Education

Director, Teacher Education

Director, Professional Development

ECE Specialists

3. Build additional ECE school infrastructure in areas of greatest need

Assistant Minister for General Administration for Early Childhood Education

Director, Physical Environment

ECE Specialists

4. Improve the quality of ECE provision for children aged 3- to 5-years-old

Assistant Minister for Early Childhood Education

Assistant Minister for Research, Planning and

ECE Specialists component

Lead officer(s) Supporting officer(s)

Strategy 4 Provide quality alternative and accelerated education pathways for overage and out-of-school children and young people

Program 4 Overage & Out-of-School Program

Components 1. Increase capacity to plan, budget and manage alternative education (AE)

Assistant Minister for Basic and Secondary Education

Director, Alternative Basic Education

Comptroller

Director, Human Resources

Director, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

2. Professional development for AE teachers, facilitators, principals and administrators

Assistant Minister for Teacher Education

Director, Alternative Education

Director, Professional Development

3. Overage student program

Assistant Minister for Basic and Secondary Education

Assistant Minister for Planning, Research and Development

Director, Alternative Basic Education

Director, Policy formulation and implementation

4. Out-of-school children and young people program

Assistant Minister for Basic and Secondary Education

Director, Alternative Basic Education

Assistant Minister for Student Personnel Services

Director, Parent and Community Engagement and National Dropout Prevention

Strategy 5 Improve the efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction of the teaching workforce

Program 5 Teacher Education & Management Program component

Lead officer(s) Supporting officer(s)

Components 1. Improve teacher registration, performance management and incentives

Assistant Minister for Teacher Education

Assistant Minister for Fiscal Affairs and Human Resource Development

Director, Teacher Education

Director, Professional Development

Director, Human Resources

2. Increase the proportion of qualified and trained teachers

Assistant Minister for Teacher Education

Director, Teacher Education

Director, Professional Development

Director, Human Resources

Strategy 6 Ensure that teachers have access to quality instructional materials and assessment tasks

Program 6 Curriculum & Assessment Program

Components 1. New English and mathematics syllabuses and teacher guides

Executive Director, Curriculum Development and Textbooks Research

Assistant Minister for Basic and Secondary

2. National literacy and numeracy assessment system for grades 3 & 6

Executive Director, Curriculum Development and Textbooks Research

Assistant Minister for Research, Planning and Development

Director, Research, EMIS, Statistics and Demographics

Strategy 7 Mainstream gender and school health across the education sector

Program 7 Student Well-being Program

Components 1. Implement National Policy on Girls’ Education

Assistant Minister for Basic & Secondary Education

Director, Girls’ Education

Director, Policy Formulation and Implementation

Director, Research, EMIS, Statistics component

Lead officer(s) Supporting officer(s) and Demographics

Director, Communications

2. Counter school-related gender-based violence

Assistant Minister for Basic and Secondary Education

Director, Girls’ Education

Director, Communications

Executive Director, Curriculum Development and Textbooks Research

3. Strengthen school health and student well-being

Assistant Minister for Student Personnel Services

Director, Special and Inclusive Education

Director, School Health and Physical Education

Director, Guidance and Counselling

Director, Physical Environment

Supervisor, School Feeding

Strategy 8 Improve the quality and relevance of technical and vocational education and training

Program 8 Technical and Vocational Education and Training Program

Components 1. Improve the TVET information base

Assistant Minister for Science, Technology, Vocational and Special Education

Director, Vocational and Technical Education

Director, Research, EMIS, Statistics and Demographics

2. Improve the quality of TVET delivery

Assistant Minister for Science, Technology, Vocational and Special Education

Director, Vocational and Technical Education component

Lead officer(s) Supporting officer(s) for Teacher Education

Director, Alternative Basic Education

3. Lay the foundation for a national qualification framework for agriculture and another area of high demand

Assistant Minister for Science, Technology, Vocational and Special Education

Assistant Minister for Teacher Education

Executive Director, Curriculum Development and Textbooks Research

Director, Vocational and Technical Education

Strategy 9 Leverage regional and international partnerships and expertise, target market demand for critical skills and increase the efficiency of education expenditure

Program 9 Higher Education Program

Director General, National Commission on Higher Education

Components 1. Increase quality and relevance in Higher Education

Director General,

2. Improve equity and efficiency in higher education finance

Director General,

3. Higher Education Act Director General, As the challenges faced by the education sector are complex, interrelated and persistent, many program components are interrelated:

• Inequalities at the school level are addressed, for example, by targeting resources such as school grants, building infrastructure, funding school supervision and inspection, piloting strategies to improve teacher deployment and ensuring teacher training is mostly at the district level. All major activities are targeted on the most disadvantaged areas and populations.

• Gender inequity is addressed, for example, through specific cross-program measures to reduce abuse of students coupled with female teacher incentives, female principal training and improved toilets and water supply.

Development of the G2B-ESP

The MoE developed the G2B-ESP based on the national development priorities. The process included the following documents, analysis and consultation:

1. Constitution of the Republic of Liberia (1986)

2. Education Reform Act (2011)

3. Agenda for Transformation (2012)

4. Liberia Rising: Vision 2030

5. Getting to Best (G2B) Roadmap

6. Getting to Best Priorities 2015-2017

7. Education Sector Analysis (ESA) 2016

8. MoE Education Sector Plan 2010-2020

9. MoE Operational Plan 2014-16

10. Joint Education Sector Review (2015)

11. Education Sector Analysis (2016)

12. Education management information system (EMIS) data from 2014 and 2015

13. Consultations with development partners, representatives from non-government organizations and education stakeholders.

14. In-depth consultations with the Minister of Education, Deputy Ministers, Assistant

Ministers, senior MoE officers and advisers

15. Comprehensive analysis of secondary data (reports, project/program documents, studies, etc.) from the last five years

16. Recent, relevant national and international reports and studies

Chapter 1 Country context

1.1 Introduction

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has developed a four-year strategic plan called the Getting to Best Education Sector Plan (G2B-ESP) to directly address the most urgent challenges currently facing the education sector and to deliver measurable results for all Liberian students.

The MoE intends to use the G2B-ESP to implement a series of evidence-based, aligned and innovative education sector reforms that have the potential to realize dramatic improvements in the quality of teaching and learning in schools across the country. The G2B-ESP is a catalyst for change that will mobilize, unite and coordinate education sector stakeholders:

MoE staff, teachers, principals, students, parents, community leaders, faith-based and private education partners, civil society organizations and development partners.

Since the official end of the Ebola crisis, the Minister of Education has led a rapid and comprehensive education sector review followed by identification of reform priorities. Key achievements from this review include publication of documents that provide the strong evidence base for the G2B-ESP, namely: (i) Getting to Best Priorities 2015-2017; (ii) Getting to Best (G2B) Roadmap (2015); and, (iii) Education Sector Analysis (ESA) Report (2016).

Development of the G2B-ESP will enable the MoE to build on the previous long-term

Education Sector Plan (ESP) for the period 2010-2020. The G2B-ESP replaces the 2010-

2020 ESP. The G2B-ESP will enable the MoE to take into account key policy, legal and contextual changes impacting the sector, such as the Education Reform Act 2011, the establishment of county school system, the re-organization of the MoE and recent reform successes, such as cleaning the teacher payroll.

A four-year planning period for the G2B-ESP is more realistic in light of Liberia’s social, economic and political vulnerabilities. Specifically, the Government of Liberia (GoL) faces a highly uncertain macroeconomic and budgetary environment due to the lingering effects of the Ebola epidemic and a downturn in global commodity prices. Furthermore, the population remains vulnerable to food insecurity, which could be exacerbated by extreme weather events (e.g. drought and flooding). In addition, the planned elections in late 2017 and subsequent transition to a new government could lead to moderate levels of political and security risk. Clearly it is important to have a widely-owned strategic plan that focuses on delivering measurable change in schools during this period.

The Getting-to-Best Education Sector Plan (G2B-ESP) is available in full or concise formats

(Table 1-1). The following full G2B-ESP contains contextual analysis summary, program-level situational analysis, components, activities, results framework and indicative budget. In-depth analysis on the state of education (including a review of the achievements of the 2010-

2010 ESP) is contained in the Education Sector Analysis (ESA). The MoE will develop

Annual Operational Plans based on the G2B-ESP which will include programmatic budgets and detailed timelines (Annex 2). A summary of indicative budgets for each program and component can be found in Chapter 14.

Table 1-1 Education analysis and planning documents

Document Publication Contents

Education Sector Analysis November 2016 In-depth analysis on the state of education in Liberia including national and international research, references and data

G2B-ESP full version November 2016 Program-by-program analysis and background

Program components, budgets and results framework

Education sector background

References

G2B-ESP concise version November 2016 Program components, budgets and results framework

Annual Operational Plans Annually Operational plan, timeframe, interim targets and detailed budget for G2B- ESP activities

1.2 Timeframe

The G2B-ESP runs for four years between 1st July 2017 to 30th June 2021 (Table 1-2).

There will be four Joint Education Sector Reviews during this period including a mid-term review in late 2019.

Table 1-2 Timeframe of G2B-ESP

Year 1 1st July 2017 - 30th June 2018

Year 2 1st July 2018 - 30th June 2019

Mid-term review September-November 2019

Year 3 1st July 2019 – 30th June 2020

Year 4 1st July 2020 – 30th June 2021

1.3 Political geography

Liberia became independent on July 26, 1847 and is Africa’s oldest republic. The country is organized into four regions, 15 counties and 90 administrative districts (Figure 1-1).

Figure 1-1 Regions and counties of Liberia

Source: World Bank (2012)

There are sixteen indigenous ethnic groups in Liberia. Although English is the official language, Liberia is a multilingual country where more than thirty languages are spoken4.

Liberia is a post-conflict country. In 1979, a coup d’état led to a long period of intermittent civil war. During this period, violence claimed an estimated 270,000 lives and lead to the displacement and migration of millions of Liberians. In 2003, Liberia transitioned to a state of peace and stability and, as families and communities rebuilt their lives, the Liberian government began the work of post-conflict reconstruction and stabilization. In 2013, the

GoL outlined an Agenda for Transformation, which sought to build on ten years of stability and set the country on a course for inclusive growth.5

1.4 Demographic and social context

1.4.1 Demographic trends

Liberia had approximately 4.4 million people in 2014 with a relatively high population growth rate of 2.5%. It is a young country with around 40 percent of the population under age 15.

The relatively high proportion of young people will remain fairly constant for the next decade and this puts significant pressure on the education system.

Liberia is experiencing growing urbanization: by 2016 it is projected that half the population will live in towns or cities. The bulk of the urban population is in the Monrovia - Montserrado area which has a population of over 1.4 million people. This poses particular issues for school expansion and provision of quality education in both dense urban areas and remote rural communities.

1.4.2 Socioeconomic factors

Many people in Liberia live in poverty. Nearly 70% of the population in Liberia lives on less than $1.90 per day (20 percentage points higher than other developing countries in Sub-

Saharan Africa). Although Gross National Income per capita in Liberia has nearly doubled since 2003, Liberia continues to have one of the lowest human development indices in the world, ranking 177 out of 188 countries in 2015 (UN Human Development Report 2015).

Several key health indicators have begun to improve since 2003. In particular, infant and under-five mortality rates have reduced significantly. However, diseases such as malaria are common. Many children are malnourished: 32 percent of under-fives are stunted and 15 percent are underweight (WHO, World Bank statistics 2013). Life expectancy is estimated at

4 https://www.ethnologue.com/country/LR 5 Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs. (2013). Republic of Liberia Agenda for Transformation. Monrovia: MoPEA.

61 years and mortality rates, although improving, remain high. The recent Ebola Virus

Disease (EVD) outbreak further damaged the health system and had a major impact on education through the closure of schools as an emergency measure.

Many Liberians work in vulnerable occupations such as smallholder or subsidence agriculture or informal employment. Due to economic insecurity, children and young people often have to work to support the household. Girls and young women are especially vulnerable, with particularly high levels of transactional sex. Low literacy and skill levels impact the opportunities to make a living and escape from poverty.

1.5 Fragility and vulnerability

1.5.1 Political and security uncertainties

Liberia enjoys a relatively stable and democratic government with presidential and legislative elections scheduled for October 2017. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will be completing her second and final six-year term so the transition to a new administration may result in political uncertainty, particularly within government ministries. As of July 1, 2016, the GoL has assumed responsibility for security from the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). The transition was a significant milestone for Liberia but may contribute to some uncertainty in the security environment.

1.5.2 Inequality

Gender and income inequality are serious issues. Liberia ranks 146 out of 155 on the UN

Gender Inequality Index and most sources point to relatively high levels of income inequality

(UN Human Development Report 2015).6

The drivers for inequality include:

• Vulnerable employment;

• Displacement during the civil war and rapid urbanization;

• Geographical disadvantage due to remoteness;

• Poor education and health services; and,

• Marginalization of women and girls.

1.5.3 Macroeconomic context

Before the Ebola outbreak, Liberia experienced rapid economic growth, averaging 7% GDP annual growth between 2009 and 2013. However, the global decline in commodity prices, Ebola outbreak and reduced mining production have had major impact (Figure 1-2).

6 According to the 2015 Human Development Report, 83.8% of Liberians are below income poverty line; 35.4% are in severe poverty; 21.5% are near poverty.

Figure 1-2 GDP trends and projections

Source: IMF 2016

Liberia faces a severely constrained macro-economic and budgetary environment and weak growth prospects over the medium term, especially as the prices of major commodity exports (rubber, iron ore and oil palm) are likely to be depressed for some time.

Despite huge progress in the last decade, GDP per capita remains very low at around $500, much lower than an average of US$800 for African low-income countries.

1.5 Government finances

Government revenue had increased steadily as a share of GDP during 2004-13. Tax revenue increased and external debt had been significantly reduced thanks to substantial debt relief. Prudent fiscal policy and strengthened public financial management contributed to a near doubling of government revenue, resumption of direct budget support, and initiation of significant infrastructure development projects without accumulation of expenditure arrears.

Thanks to the strong support from the international community, the government maintained the fiscal deficit at a manageable size (8.1% of GDP in 2015 and 8.5% of GDP in 2016) even with the constrictions in economic output and additional expenditure during the Ebola outbreak. However, government finances remain highly vulnerable, especially in light of the demands of a growing population, much-needed investments and difficult macroeconomic environment. GDP in 2016 is now projected to contract by 0.5%, mainly due to continued weakness of commodity exports.

1.6 Development vision

The Government of Liberia has articulated the following developmental vision for Liberia:

that Liberia move toward a more equal, just, secure and prosperous society. The Agenda for

Transformation (AfT, 2012, the second Poverty Reduction Strategy) and Liberia Rising

Vision 2030 (2015) are the overarching…