The recent failure of the Liberian Government to pay student allowances of the current Liberia-Morocco Bilateral Scholarship recipients along with their counterparts studying in China is a Déjà vu. The Liberian Government failed to pay allowances of 31 students that first arrived in Morocco about 30 thirty years ago. To ensure that government officials take concrete, achievable, and sustainable steps to increase instead of step-down investment in education, we must remind the government of its educational responsibility.
Why have you decided to tell this story Now?
Knowing what happened then can help to correct the situation from reoccurring. Recently, the Liberia Bilateral scholarship recipients peacefully assembled at the Liberian Embassy near Rabat, Morocco, to remind the government of its obligation to them under the bilateral agreement. The Liberian Government didn’t only order police to kick the current students out of the Embassy compound, but evaded responsibilities and prevaricated the true.
The steps the Liberian government took to handle the crisis are like what it did to the 31 Liberian students about 30 years ago. In 1990, the Liberian Government refused to pay Liberia students their allowances. The students were the first, in the series of students, that arrived in the Kingdom of Morocco. The students met the Liberia Foreign Minister at a local hotel in Rabat, Morocco to redress their concerns. Instead of resolving the problem, the Liberian Foreign Minister blamed the student leader for encouraging them to come to an Islamic country to pursue studies. In other words, the Kingdom of Morocco fulfilled its obligation to the students by a hundred percent. Unfortunately, our government abandoned the 31 students and threw their leader under the bus. In the absence of any stark Liberian diplomatic representation near Morocco and a stable country back home, it was challenging and trying circumstances for students living and studying in a foreign land. The pioneers barely survived. It was tough for the students then and now since the only source of help is half of the living expenses the Moroccan government promised through the bilateral agreement.
In the current student situation, the Ministry of Education (MOE) tried to save face by blaming “overstayed students,” evading responsibilities, and prevaricating the true. The fact is that if this problem remains unresolved, the physical wellbeing, along with student individual programs, and the educational policy goal will continue to negatively impact everyone, including the government and the students. A sustainable solution also includes the release of allowances of Liberian students in China according to the Bilateral agreement.
Shifting the blame, embellishing the true, and barking to the wrong tree do not demonstrate great leadership. No sarcasm or offense intended. Blaming the innocents can endanger their life. Suppose, for instance, the other 30 students had harmed, despised, beaten up, frustrated, and or estranged their leader for being the cause of their sufferance and not receiving their student allowances. Fortunately, whatever the government planned to do then, did not work. When we left the hotel that night, a minor verbal argument ensued between two students. Despite that, we all knew that we were going to need to stick together more than ever; the Liberian government wasn’t going to be a part of it.
The government should learn to honor its commitments. A bilateral scholarship is bilateral. Both parties will have to chip in to make it work for the mutual benefit of all parties involved.
Moreover, advanced skill development or education is the price and not the enemy. So, if the goal of Liberia’s bilateral scholarships is to develop a high skill-competitive workforce, she must walk the walk and strive for a win-win situation. Investing in education is not and can never the problem. Not Spending enough in educational endeavors or hiring competent folks to implement internal or external educational policies that care enough about learning and student wellbeing is the real impediment. Moreover, the government shouldn’t have called a police squad to kick the students out of the Liberia Embassy. The government is the culprit of their sufferings; it failed to pay their allowances that it owes to them under the bilateral agreement.
We have also unfortunately learned that the MOE also referred to overstayed students as those that are subjects of deportation. I hope that MOE and Liberian people know who the overstayed students are and why they overstayed in the first place. I think the answer is rooted in a full understanding of Liberia and Moroccan educational systems. Let’s take a look.
Liberia Educational System
|
Level |
Grades |
Age |
Years |
Lib. Grading System |
Morocco Grading System |
US Grade |
|
Elementary |
1–6 |
6–12 |
6 |
90.00 – 100.00 |
15.00 – 20.00 |
A+ |
|
Junior High School |
7–9 |
12–15 |
3 |
80.00 – 89.00 |
13.00 – 14.99 |
A- |
|
Senior Secondary Education |
10–12 |
15–18 |
3 |
70.00 – 79.00 |
12.00 – 12.99 |
B+ |
|
Teacher Training |
3 |
60.00 – 69.00 |
11.00 – 11.99 |
B |
||
|
Vocational or Technical School |
2 |
0.00 – 59.00 |
10.00 – 10.99 |
C |
||
|
Undergraduate |
4 |
9.00 – 9.99 |
C- |
|||
|
Teacher Training |
4 |
8.00 – 8.99 |
D |
|||
|
Master |
1–2 |
0.00 – 7.99 |
F |
|||
|
Teacher Training |
2 |
|||||
|
Doctorate |
3–7 |
The current school system of Liberia has five levels: The Kindergarten or Pre-Primary, the Primary School, Junior High School, Senior High School and College. The kindergarten level accepts enrollees from children aged 3 to 6 years old. At this level, kids learn how to identify letters and learn the basics of counting.
In the Primary School level, kids learn basic mathematics, science and English. Next to the Primary School level is Junior High School. In this level, students learn subjects like algebra, chemistry and geometry. The Senior High School level is the last stage before entering college. Here more advanced concepts of subjects from the Junior High School level are taken up. Religious organizations also put up their schools and give a high quality of education. The problem here however is that admission to the school is limited for their members.
Moroccan Educational System
In many ways, the two educational systems are similar by functions and categories, but the objectives, pedagogic and the implementation of those objectives are disparate. For international students pursuing studies in the kingdom, languages are key impediments; subjects studied in Moroccan primary schools include grammar, composition and reading, languages (Arabic, French, and Spanish), civics, and arithmetic. To fully take advantage of the training in Morocco, the mastery of especially French or Arabic is therefore a key requirement. In disciplines such as natural and applied sciences and social sciences, most students will need more than a one-year study program in basic language skills to grasp fully, at least, 80-95% of classroom lectures, reading and understanding textbooks, and conducting scientific research or making student reports. Besides, the Moroccan Government Language program for international students is basic and is not enough to fluently communicate.
Known the impact of the barriers to communicate, some of us sacrificed to simultaneously attend the government language program as well as the French Cultural Language School near Rabat. The impact of the two language programs helped us to understand our classmates and class lectures better. Continued reading and practicing our French with French-speaking students effectively reduced the barriers to read, write, and speak the French language fluently.
Moreover, it takes about three years (four years including a year of basic language study program for international students) to complete a master’s degree program or troisième cycle in Morocco. Whereas in Liberia it takes two years to complete a master’s degree program.
The government must gather facts, at least biannually, about the school systems where it’s sending Liberian students to learn. Unlike the Liberian School systems, Moroccan educational objectives are in flux, constantly changing and adapting to changing and competitive environments.
|
Level |
|
Grades |
Age |
Years |
Lib. Grading System |
Morocco Grading System |
US Grade |
|
Elementary |
|
1–6 |
6–12 |
6 |
90.00 – 100.00 |
15.00 – 20.00 |
A+ |
|
Junior High School |
|
7–9 |
12–15 |
3 |
80.00 – 89.00 |
13.00 – 14.99 |
A- |
|
Senior Secondary Education |
|
10–12 |
15–18 |
3 |
70.00 – 79.00 |
12.00 – 12.99 |
B+ |
|
Teacher Training |
|
3 |
60.00 – 69.00 |
11.00 – 11.99 |
B |
||
|
Vocational or Technical School |
|
2 |
0.00 – 59.00 |
10.00 – 10.99 |
C |
||
|
Undergraduate |
|
4 |
9.00 – 9.99 |
C- |
|||
|
Teacher Training |
|
4 |
8.00 – 8.99 |
D |
|||
|
Master |
|
3-4 |
0.00 – 7.99 |
F |
|||
|
Teacher Training |
|
2 |
|||||
|
Doctorate |
|
3–7 |