Grand Kru County, Liberia – April 30, 2025 – A recent onsite verification and headcount conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Grand Kru County has revealed a significant number of inactive teachers across its eight educational districts. The exercise identified 123 government-employed teachers who were not actively fulfilling their duties.
According to the MOE statement released on April 28, 2025, the audit found that 56 educators were either deceased, retired, or had resigned from their positions. An additional 67 teachers have been directed to return to their assigned schools by June 1, 2025, or face potential dismissal. The Ministry has provided these absentee teachers with a one-month grace period to resume their responsibilities, warning that non-compliance could lead to their removal from the government payroll.
To address the anticipated teacher shortages resulting from these vacancies, the MOE has announced plans to recruit qualified volunteer educators. From a pool of 149 volunteer teachers profiled in the previous year, 63 are slated for formal employment by the central government. These appointments, combined with the 56 replacement positions for the permanently inactive teachers, bring the total number of potential employment opportunities for volunteer teachers to 118. The Ministry also indicated that 31 additional volunteer teachers remain under consideration for future employment.
“This verification process is part of our ongoing effort to clean the Ministry’s payroll and ensure that only active and qualified educators are serving in the classroom,” the MOE statement emphasized. “This is not a politically motivated exercise but a necessary measure to strengthen the integrity of our educational system.”
Authorities in Grand Kru have long voiced concerns about the presence of “ghost names” on the county’s education payroll, referring to individuals receiving salaries without actively teaching. This recent headcount is being viewed as a crucial step towards promoting accountability and transparency within the education sector.
In a related development, the MOE also documented 23 in-service teachers who are currently pursuing academic studies both within Liberia and abroad, highlighting the Ministry’s dedication to professional development within the education sector.
The Ministry has reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the situation concerning volunteer teachers and to continuing its efforts to ensure that every classroom in Grand Kru County is staffed with a qualified, present, and effective teacher.
Comments are closed.