Senate & House Education Chairs put weight behind digital teacher training

Schools have reopened for the 2021 / 22 academic year after political education leaders attended a national teacher training closing ceremony in Ganta. Over a thousand government teachers are heading into classrooms fully equipped and trained as digital teachers.

Teachers are returning to schools after two weeks of training in specific classroom management techniques, praise and technology based teaching methods to improve teaching and learning in schools across the country. The government is using a digital approach through its partner – Bridge Liberia – alongside improving teaching and learning the digital approach will help the government gather data in new schools joining the Liberian Education Advancement Programme (LEAP) as the government works on its new 5 year education sector plan.

Both the senate and house committee chairpersons on education Hon. Prince K. Moye and Hon. Mariama Fofana attended the final day of the training and the graduation ceremony.

The Hon. Mariana Fofana highlighted that: “I admire the level of monitoring and supervision I see in our public schools supported by Bridge Liberia. I let every other partner in education know that the same monitoring will be expected from you all and the Legislature will do everything in its powers to support the Ministry of Education and Bridge Liberia to ensure teachers are transformed to support our students” says hon. Mariama Fofana.

As a result of the training, all teachers have been prepared with specific teaching principles, techniques, and technological skills that a contemporary teacher needs for the effective delivery of learning materials in the classroom.

At the end of the training, teachers responded with positive feedback and commended the Ministry of education and Bridge Liberia for what they described as hands -on practical training that would change their teaching career and benefit their students.

Bouyanue Latahn, a government teacher from Karn Public School, explained how the ‘cold calling’ (calling on all children to answer questions in class) and ‘narrating the positive’ techniques taught during the training will change her classroom presentation and the way she engages with her students when she returns.

“I now know that as teachers, we should praise our students when  they do good and ensure they are corrected in a way that is not negative and they can learn from”

For his part, Hon. Moye spoke passionately ‘I challenge the teachers to return to the classrooms with new vigor and promised to continuously work in their interest as chair of the committee responsible to monitor and supervise education at the senate.”

Education is the future of the country, its success will drive growth and a stronger future. Stakeholders are committed to ensuring that teachers have the tools to continue to deliver the change that Bridge Liberia and the Ministry of Education has spent 5 years delivering.