James T. Brooks
In a powerful demonstration of national ambition and international partnership, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and World Bank Group Managing Director Paschal Donohoe officially commissioned the Kakata Model Senior Secondary School in Margibi County on Thursday, March 19, 2026. This state-of-the-art facility stands as a tangible achievement of the Improving Results in Secondary Education (IRISE) Project, marking a pivotal moment in the government’s mission to decentralize high-quality education and expand opportunities for Liberia’s youth.
The ceremony, attended by Education Minister Jallah and various government dignitaries, served as more than just the opening of a physical structure. During his keynote remarks, Mr. Donohoe characterized the launch as a “powerful statement of national confidence,” emphasizing that every new classroom represents a renewed sense of hope for families and a cornerstone for regional development. By expanding access to senior secondary schooling, the Government of Liberia is actively removing barriers to professional dignity and purposeful living for the next generation.
A central theme of the event was the shift in focus from mere classroom access to the quality of learning and skill acquisition. Mr. Donohoe, who also serves as the World Bank’s Chief Knowledge Officer, noted that while getting children into school is a necessary first step, it is what they learn inside those walls that determines their future economic mobility. He highlighted that foundational literacy and numeracy are the gateways to success, while a robust secondary education acts as a multiplier—laying the essential groundwork for technical training, entrepreneurship, and the broader economic transformation currently pursued by the Boakai administration.
The commissioning also underscored the deep, decade-long partnership between the World Bank and the Liberian government. This collaboration has reached a new milestone with the recent launch of the EXCEL project in December 2025. As the World Bank’s largest-ever education investment in the country at US$88.7 million, EXCEL is designed to tackle “learning poverty” on a national scale. This ambitious initiative aims to ensure that every child in all 15 counties can read, write, and count by the end of primary school, providing a seamless pipeline into secondary institutions like the newly minted school in Kakata.
As the ribbon was cut, the message to the students of Margibi County was clear: they are the primary drivers of Liberia’s future. The success of this facility now rests in the hands of the educators who will lead it and the community that will sustain it. With the World Bank reaffirming its commitment to walk alongside Liberia as a trusted partner, the Kakata Model Senior Secondary School stands as a beacon of what can be achieved through steadfast leadership and a shared belief in the transformative power of education.
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