Published: January 2, 2026
KORYAH TOWN, BONG COUNTY — What was supposed to be a safe learning environment for hundreds of school-children has turned into a daily struggle for survival, as students of Nyantarku Public School in Koryah Town, Panta District, Bong County, are being forced to learn under life-threatening and unconducive conditions following the destruction of parts of their school building by a violent rainstorm on November 15, 2025. The incident has already triggered a decline in enrollment and heightened fears of further dropouts.
The heavy storm blew off the roof of a four-classroom block at a critical point in the academic calendar, exposing hundreds of students to rain, harsh weather, and severe disruption of learning activities.
“Right now our school is under deplorable conditions,” said Principal John Yarkpawolo, who has served at the institution for five years. “The storm damaged the roof of four classrooms, and since then, children have been sitting in water while lessons are ongoing.”
Students Learning in the Rain
Nyantarkulah Public School currently serves 268 students, ranging from early childhood to junior levels, drawn from Koryah Town and surrounding communities. Since the incident, learning has continued under extremely unsafe conditions, with affected classes either sitting in roofless rooms or being merged with others.
“Sometimes you see two or even three classes combined into one room,” Yarkpawolo explained. “It is not safe, and it is not conducive for learning.”
During rainfall, lessons are often suspended. In other instances, students are crowded into limited classroom spaces, increasing the risk of illness, physical injuries, and poor academic performance.
Government Response Still Pending
Following the storm, the school administration formally reported the damage to the District Education Officer (DEO) and the County Education Officer (CEO). Education officials later visited the campus, took photographs, and assured school authorities that the complaint would be forwarded to the Ministry of Education (MoE).
More than a month later, however, no concrete intervention has been made.
As of publication, the Ministry of Education in Bong County had not made any public comment regarding the situation at Nyantarkulah Public School.
“Whenever we followed up, we were told it was now a national issue and that the Ministry of Education would address it later,” Yarkpawolo said. “Up to now, we have not heard anything.”
Teacher Shortage Deepens the Crisis
Beyond damaged infrastructure, the school is also battling a critical shortage of trained, government-paid teachers. Out of nine instructors currently teaching at Nyantarkulah Public School, only two are on the government payroll, while seven serve as volunteers.
Most of the volunteer teachers are high school graduates, with only two holding C-teaching certificates. They receive small incentives from Parents–Teachers Association (PTA) fees amounting to LD$500 per student, a measure Principal Yarkpawolo describes as barely sustainable.
“The school is understaffed,” he noted. “But getting teachers on payroll is not easy. We are just managing so the school can exist.”
Enrollment Decline and Dropouts
The poor learning environment has already taken a visible toll on enrollment. According to the principal, about 20 students have dropped out since the classrooms were deroofed.
“Some parents were discouraged when they saw children sitting in open classrooms,” Yarkpawolo said. “When children stay home for two or three months, they lose interest. For girls especially, it increases the risk of early pregnancy and permanent dropout.”
As the resumption of active school activity approaches next year, administrators fear further declines if urgent repairs are not undertaken.
Education Reform Act of 2011 and Conducive Learning Environment
Liberia’s Education Reform Act of 2011 places a clear legal obligation on the Government of Liberia to ensure safe, secure, and conducive learning environments for all children.
Under Part II (Fundamental Principles of Education), Section 3.1, the Act recognizes education as a fundamental right and commits the state to providing accessible, equitable, safe, and quality education to every child, regardless of geographic location.
Further, Part IV (Administration of Education), Section 6.2, mandates the Ministry of Education to regulate and supervise all public schools to ensure that teaching and learning take place in physically safe, structurally sound, and supportive environments that promote student welfare and effective instruction.
The Act also addresses school infrastructure directly. Part VI (School Infrastructure and Learning Facilities), Section 9.1, assigns responsibility to the government for the construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, and disaster response for public school facilities, with particular emphasis on underserved and rural communities where vulnerabilities are highest.
These statutory obligations are reinforced by the Ministry of Education’s Safe and Conducive School Environment Policy, which emphasizes protection from weather hazards, overcrowding, health risks, and other conditions that undermine children’s safety and learning outcomes.
Yet, the situation at Nyantarkulah Public School reflects a wider national crisis. Across Liberia especially in rural and peri-urban areas, many public schools continue to struggle with collapsing or unfinished classrooms, acute shortages of trained teachers, heavy reliance on volunteer instructors, overcrowding, and weak emergency responses to disasters, conditions that directly contradict the guarantees enshrined in the Education Reform Act of 2011.
Community Efforts and Appeal for Support
Nyantarkulah Public School was originally constructed by an NGO, and later handed over to government authorities. In the absence of immediate state intervention, community leaders, including the Town Chief, are planning a meeting in January 2026 to explore temporary solutions.
Preliminary assessments indicate that the school urgently needs roofing materials, including at least 12 bundles of zinc, along with timber, nails, and labor support to restore the damaged classrooms.
“We are calling on government authorities, NGOs, philanthropists, and well-meaning Liberians to come to our aid,” Yarkpawolo appealed. “Education here does not only benefit Koryah Town; it serves the district, the county, and the Republic of Liberia.”
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