[Liberia] 1,000 absent teachers removed from government payroll

In Liberia, the Ministry of Education announced that it has removed more than 1,000 teachers who abandoned their classrooms from the government payroll, AllAfrica reports.

The announcement was made during a budget hearing at the Ministry of Finance.

Finance Ministry officials reportedly highlighted that the payroll continues to contain teachers who are paid but are not teaching.

Atty. Nyekeh Y. Forkpa - the deputy minister for administration - said, "Through our internal payroll cleaning process, we removed more than 1,000 teachers who have abandoned the classroom." 

According to Mr Forkpa, the ministry used the money freed up by the cleanup to bring volunteer teachers onto the payroll. The Finance Ministry funded 1,000 volunteer teachers in 2025, and savings from the removals paid for a further 1,000+, bringing the total enrolled to over 2,000.

Mr Forkpa added that a nationwide assessment had counted 6,198 volunteer teachers. The ministry has frozen the list at that number, and anyone added beyond it would be coming in improperly, he said. 

The assessment reportedly revealed that only about half of those volunteers have the qualifications to teach. Mr Forkpa stated that the ministry is starting an in-service program to train volunteers able to become qualified.

He said teachers continue to abandon postings in remote areas because they are paid the same as teachers in Monrovia. Communities fill the teaching gaps with volunteers, sometimes high school students. The ministry's 2027 budget will seek a housing allowance for teachers in hard-to-reach areas, the Finance Ministry official said.

A Civil Service Agency official at the hearing said many volunteers who finally get onto the payroll go on study leave and move to Monrovia to enrol in universities, while remaining on the payroll. 

Mr Forkpa reportedly confirmed that study leave now requires approval from the top of the ministry and a compelling reason. Until now, county education officers were permitted to approve it, he said.

Source: AllAfrica

In Liberia, the Ministry of Education announced that it has removed more than 1,000 teachers who abandoned their classrooms from the government payroll, AllAfrica reports.

The announcement was made during a budget hearing at the Ministry of Finance.

Finance Ministry officials reportedly highlighted that the payroll continues to contain teachers who are paid but are not teaching.

Atty. Nyekeh Y. Forkpa - the deputy minister for administration - said, "Through our internal payroll cleaning process, we removed more than 1,000 teachers who have abandoned the classroom." 

According to Mr Forkpa, the ministry used the money freed up by the cleanup to bring volunteer teachers onto the payroll. The Finance Ministry funded 1,000 volunteer teachers in 2025, and savings from the removals paid for a further 1,000+, bringing the total enrolled to over 2,000.

Mr Forkpa added that a nationwide assessment had counted 6,198 volunteer teachers. The ministry has frozen the list at that number, and anyone added beyond it would be coming in improperly, he said. 

The assessment reportedly revealed that only about half of those volunteers have the qualifications to teach. Mr Forkpa stated that the ministry is starting an in-service program to train volunteers able to become qualified.

He said teachers continue to abandon postings in remote areas because they are paid the same as teachers in Monrovia. Communities fill the teaching gaps with volunteers, sometimes high school students. The ministry's 2027 budget will seek a housing allowance for teachers in hard-to-reach areas, the Finance Ministry official said.

A Civil Service Agency official at the hearing said many volunteers who finally get onto the payroll go on study leave and move to Monrovia to enrol in universities, while remaining on the payroll. 

Mr Forkpa reportedly confirmed that study leave now requires approval from the top of the ministry and a compelling reason. Until now, county education officers were permitted to approve it, he said.

Source: AllAfrica