01/09/2025
Selling Teachers’ Jobs
Volunteers Accuse Higher-Ups at Ministry of Education
Emmanuel Mopolu
The National Volunteer Teachers Network of Liberia (NVTNL) has accused the Ministry of Education (MoE) of turning the national payroll system into a “marketplace” where teaching jobs are allegedly sold to the highest bidder or reserved for relatives and close associates of ministry officials.
Patrick Walker, Public Relations Officer of the NVTNL, condemned what he described as “government hypocrisy, corruption, exploitation, and betrayal” against volunteer teachers. He lamented that while payroll teachers abandon classrooms and send assistants to do their work, volunteers are the ones actually teaching the nation’s children. “We are doing the work, but we are treated like beggars,” Walker stressed.
Echoing similar concerns, another member of the group, Micheal Moore, revealed that in order to get on the government payroll as a teacher, one either has to pay a bribe or be connected to someone in power. He described the system as one that thrives on favoritism, undermining the sacrifices of volunteers who have dedicated years to the classroom.
According to Moore, such practices have created a two-tier system—where committed and qualified teachers are exploited as unpaid labor, while undeserving individuals pocket government salaries without contributing meaningfully to the education system. He described this as “systemic exploitation” that has left volunteers impoverished, frustrated, and demoralized.
The teachers also accused the Ministry of failing to deliver on repeated commitments to address their plight. They cited numerous petitions, protests, and meetings with education authorities over the last five years, all of which have ended with empty promises. “We have been patient, but patience has run out. This time, we are resolved,” Walker warned.
As schools prepare to reopen for the 2025/2026 academic year, the NVTNL has threatened a nationwide boycott of classes beginning September 15 if their grievances remain unaddressed. The strike, they say, is not just about salaries, but about dignity, fairness, and the future of Liberia’s children.
The potential boycott has sparked widespread concern among parents, students, and civil society groups. Citizens fear that if volunteers—who reportedly make up more than half of the teaching workforce in some rural counties—withdraw their services, classrooms could be completely abandoned, leaving thousands of students stranded.
Parents and advocacy groups are raising alarms, warning that Liberia cannot afford another setback in education. “Our children are already suffering from poor learning conditions and underqualified teachers. If the volunteers leave, the entire system will collapse,” said a concerned parent in Monrovia.
Education stakeholders have meanwhile called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the legislature to urgently intervene before the situation spirals out of control. They argue that resolving the crisis is not only about protecting teachers’ welfare but also about safeguarding the nation’s human capital.
Some analysts suggest that the allegations of job-selling and payroll fraud within the Ministry of Education reflect a broader culture of corruption in Liberia’s public sector. They warn that unless systemic reforms are implemented, the country’s education system will remain vulnerable to collapse, no matter how many policies are drafted.
