(This was published in the Liberian Studies journal as follows: Prof. Malakpa, Sakui W. G. (2009). Toward quality education in Liberia. The Liberian Studies Journal, XXXIII  (1), 23-31.

TOWARD QUALITY EDUCATION IN LIBERIA

Scholars and disciplines view education from different perspectives.  Economics of education views education as a form of investment in human beings. Education therefore is regarded as capable of yielding economic benefits and contributing to a nation’s future wealth by increasing the productive capacity of its people (Bonal, 2007; Patrinos, 2000; Psacharopoulos, 1993). On the other hand, humanists and existentialists see education as the development of the whole being and the advancement of his or her environment and culture (Malakpa, 1996; Schilling, 1986).

Advocates of holistic education postulate that education transcends the confines of subject knowledge accumulation and emphasizes “mastering the instruments of learning and the application of knowledge in a variety of contexts” (UNESCO, 1996 p. 86). Furthermore, holistic education views this field as a process of “learning and understanding, developing personal competences, learning to live with others and the education of the whole person. For example, “education must contribute to the all-round development of each individual-mind and body, intelligence, sensitivity, esthetic sense, personal responsibility and spiritual values” (UNESCO, 1996, p. 94). Holistic education also sees the field of education in terms of life-long learning in a constantly changing world which requires new and varied expertise. From this perspective,

It is not enough to supply each child early in life with a store of knowledge to be drawn on from then on. Each individual must be equipped to seize learning opportunities throughout life, both to broaden her or his knowledge, skills and attitudes, and to adapt to a changing, complex and interdependent world. (UNESCO, 1996, p. 85). However defined, the truth is that from the left, right and center, the importance and contributive value of education cannot be overemphasized.

This work therefore focuses on the importance of increasing quality education in Liberia.  The purpose of this endeavor is not to criticize but offer views and examples of quality education in sister developing (especially sub-Saharan African) countries.  It is hoped that this discourse will add to the directions and suggestions for increasing quality education in Liberia.

Quality: Materu (2007), looking at quality of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa defines quality as “fitness for purpose; that is, meeting or conforming to generally accepted standards as defined by an institution, quality assurance bodies and/or appropriate academic and professional communities” (p. 3). Using South Africa as a prime example, Motala (2001) explores the literature for the definition of quality as related to primary and secondary education in Africa. Fuller (1986) (cited in Motala, 2001) stresses that definitions of quality emanate from four views of schooling: “a production function model with an input-output view; school quality as existing in the relationships between teacher and student, supported by a positive school climate; school quality as a function of classroom and school organisation (time on task and a well-managed school structure); and quality as symbolic” (p. 67).

Adams(1993) argues that quality is popularly understood as something exceptional, as effectiveness or fitness for purpose, as providing value for money, or as transformative or empowering—adding value). Likewise, Webbstock (1994) notes that any conception of quality in education must be relevant to its changing context, and that a workable notion should include “fitness of purpose” and “value-added” approaches. She describes these as entailing “assessing fitness for a defined purpose as well as assessing, through performance indicators and participants’ perceptions,” the extent to which value has been added  (p. 7).

In stressing the notion of quality as empowering or transforming, Kissack and Meyer (cited in Motala, 2001) advance the concept of “empowering agency” which they envisage as having two dimensions: (A) cre­ating epistemological access, and (B) developing the capability of all education role players to exer­cise judgment (p. 68). Increased Quality Education in Liberia: Given the definitions of education and quality, this work offers suggestions for increasing quality education in Liberia. In addition to the inputs of Malakpa (1988-89; 1990; 2005; 2006), suggestions are based on examples from sister sub-Saharan African countries. It is hoped that where these elements already exist in Liberia, they will be strengthened and where they are wanting, they will be considered.

For years, Malakpa (1988-89; 1990) has written and spoken about the elusive trio in quality education in Liberia. He cites the trio as: (A) skilled, insightful, and realistic planning implementation of education in Liberia, (B) accurate and inclusive history of Liberia, and (C) ensuring that the curriculum includes Liberian languages and reflects invaluable values of Liberian culture (Malakpa, 1990).  In addition, Malakpa (2005; 2006) emphasizes incessantly that insisting on special education programs in Liberia will buttress the quality of education in the country. Such programs, inter alia, render the nation’s education system holistic.  Furthermore, like other areas of education, they yield quantifiable and unquantifiable private and public returns. It is therefore difficult to achieve quality education in Liberia without considering these factors.

Equally relevant to increasing quality education in Liberia are examples and experiences from other developing countries (especially sister nations in sub-Saharan Africa). From a South African perspective, Motala (2001) maintains that, “conceptualization of quality must be guided by political and social transformation processes, local needs, and global influences — parti­cularly economic and educational influences” (p. 62).

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Also as advocated in South Africa, the quest for quality cannot be “used for purposes of exclusion, domination and political advantage.”  Rather, quality and access “must include learning, new forms of knowledge, and must lead to “cognitive equity” (Motala, 2001, p. 67). Of particular importance is that redistributing resources is not sufficient in itself; it must entail creating conditions for the equity of learning achievement (Crouch, 1996; Motala, 2001). Motala, (2001) adds other dimensions for achieving quality in education. These include fiscal discipline, and a strong reaction to inequitable and ineffective government policies, factors that must be considered in the Liberian context.

Crucial also to the enhancement of quality is a critical discussion and reexamination of performance indicators. What, for example, are the goals of education and what does the government regard as quality education? To what extent is a school system performing vis-à-vis the delineated standard of quality? How is this performance measured?

In addressing the foregoing questions in the South African context, it is said that “the stated goals which underlie the use of performance indicators … are equity, access, redress and quality. The use of the matriculation examination as the only indicator of school performance is being challenged” (Motala, 2001, p. 69). Rather, policy researchers and analysts propose a much less simplistic approach to the assessment of both student achievement and quality (Motala, 2001). It behooves Liberia to seek a similar path within the context of its socio-economic and socio-political reality. Similarly, like South Africa,Liberia Will do well to emphasize improvement of “education management capacity, particularly school-based management, to bring about quality, effectiveness and efficiency in the education sector” (Motala, 2001 p. 70).

Osei (2006) also discusses quality education but with reference to Ghana. He argues that, like many of its regional neighbors (and there’s reason to believe that Liberia is no exception),Ghana’s education is far from achieving quality. This is because Ghana allegedly emphasizes policies and practices antithetical to the maximization of quality education. For example, Osei (2006) charges that Ghana’s education depends on an “archaic, centrally controlled schooling system which does not have room for all willing post-primary students and which is orientated towards producing clerks and civil servants” (p. 41). Instead of such a trend, Ghana and Liberia, which have experienced different crises, need to restructure their educational systems to maximize quality and thereby prepare students to compete effectively in a global market.

Osei (2006) delineates other policies and practices that are antithetical to the promotion of quality education in Ghanaian schools. To cite a few, students are encouraged “to learn by rote and produce lists of facts in compulsory examinations, an approach which neither stimulates creativity nor provides better foundations in English, mathe­matics and computer skills, all of which are needed to develop a globally competitive economy” (Osei, 2006, p. 42).

Other possible reasons for low quality education in Ghana include: “the stagnant expenditure per pupil; a largely under-qualified teaching force; rivalry between local and central bureaucracies; insufficient monitoring of the system or feedback; and the lack of incentives for improvement” (Osei, 2006, p. 42). Hence, Asare-Bediako and Boachie-Danquah (1995) (cited in Osei, 2006) identify the main problem as: “inappropriately centralised quality control, bureaucratic profit-making and ill-defined educational objectives” (p. 42).Liberia faces similar problems and can increase quality of education by addressing these crucial issues.

Michaelowa & Wittmann (2008) contribute to the discourse by looking at quality of education in Francophone African countries. Based on experiences from these countries, it is emphasized that Quality in education is unreachable without addressing quality of teacher training, low teacher motivation, teacher remuneration, school environments, and student-teacher ratio (Michaelowa & Wittmann, 2008). In addition to teacher remuneration, the type and quality of teacher family surroundings have been found to contribute to the quality of education. This link was found in Zimbabwe(Chivore 1988), the Anglophone part of Cameroon(Abangma, 1981),Sierra Leone(Banya and Elu, 1997) and in Tanzania,Zambia, and Uganda(Postlethwaite 1998).

In considering change in development education from the perspective of complexity theory, Mason (2009), stresses that quality must be inextricably related to equity. Put differently, achieving quality education must be synonymous to reducing (preferably eliminating) provision or exclusion of services on the basis of region, gender, disability, ethnicity, etc. A quest for quality education in Liberia must emphasize this point because of the finding that “inequalities in education in any society lie primarily … in inequities that can probably be traced back to the big four: socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender, and space/region” (Mason, 2009, p. 119).

In the quest for quality education,Liberia also can benefit from a broad perspective relative to sub-Saharan Africa. For example, Heneveld (1994) argues that as nations in sub-Saharan Africa plan and monitor quality education, they must revise current assumptions that inform methods of policy and planning. To this end, nations in the region must realize that school-level factors are intertwined with, and not independent of, national policies. Hence, national policies must be woven in a fabric that comes together with school-level factors to form a social system which strongly impacts the learning that occurs in schools (Heneveld, 1994). An important feature of the research phase of this process is ensuring that work on quality is indigenized with emphasis on local writers, researchers, etc.. (Motala, 2001).

Summary and Conclusion: In advocating quality education in Liberia, it need be realized that scholars and disciplines view education differently.  Likewise, “quality” is defined from different perspectives. However defined, quality education is a must for Liberia. To realize increased quality education in Liberia, this work advances suggestions from several perspectives. Malakpa (1988-89; 1990; 2005; 2006) stresses the importance of addressing what he terms “the elusive trio in quality education in Liberia.” He also accentuates the inclusion of special education services and programs in schools.

Similarly, suggestions are offered from the experiences and perspectives of sister sub-Saharan African countries. The South African experience shows that quality cannot be reached with policies of exclusion and domination; rather both the education system and national educational policies must embrace and promote equity. Likewise, to achieve quality education, there must be fiscal discipline and strong reaction to ineffective government policies. Furthermore, the quest for quality education must include a critical examination of performance indicators (Motala, 2001).

From a Ghanaian viewpoint, quality education is unreachable in the face of an archaic centrally controlled system. Also, a national education system that encourages students to learn by rote does not contribute to the development of skills needed in a competitive global economy. Quality education equally will remain elusive when a nation has a large under-qualified teaching force and there are no incentives for improvement (Osei, 2006).

Experiences from Francophone African countries indicate that impediments to quality education include inadequate or ineffective teacher training programs, low teacher motivation, nugatory teacher remuneration, poor school environments, and disproportionate student-teacher ratio. It also was found that the type and quality of teacher family surroundings were strongly contributive to quality education (Michaelowa & Wittmann, 2008). In addition, a broad sub-Saharan African perspective emphasizes that, to achieve quality education in the region, national policies must be intertwined with school-level factors to promote learning (Heneveld, 1994). A crucial aspect of this process must be the indigenization of quality; that is, to promote quality, there must be strong emphasis on the use of local authors, materials, processes and methods.

In conclusion, it is axiomatic that no nation can develop at an acceptable pace, let alone a desirable pace without developing skilled human resources. The education sector therefore is a crucial partner in the socio-economic and socio-cultural development process as it is a vital means of developing human resources. Thus, if Liberia is to accelerate and buttress socio-economic development in the post-war era, and in the face of the ramifications of the war, more than ever, the nation must promote and enhance quality education. To achieve this goal,Liberia Must institute stringent policies and practices for the promotion of quality education.  For example, among others, heavy emphasis must be placed on teacher education, teacher remuneration, in-service education for practicing teachers, decentralization and indigenization of the education system, and reconsideration of performance assessment alongside criteria for rating schools and school districts throughout the country. Put succinctly, overall, the education sector in Liberia has contributed enormously to the nation. However, if this sector is to play its expected role effectively and efficiently, it must institute drastic changes to achieve its myriad goals and objectives.

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