Published: June 23, 2025
SUAKOKO, Bong County — Liberia’s Minister of Education, Dr. Jarso Jallah, has issued a clarion call for increased public investment in education, warning that without urgent and sustained funding, the country’s transformation goals could remain out of reach.
Speaking Saturday at the 63rd commencement convocation of Cuttington University, Dr. Jallah declared education the “bedrock” of Liberia’s development and economic survival. Her speech, delivered before hundreds of graduates and academic leaders in Suakoko District, comes at a time when the nation faces significant challenges in teacher quality, student outcomes, and school infrastructure.
“If we must transform Liberia, we must do it through education — and that can only be achieved through adequate public investment,” she said. “A well-educated workforce is the cornerstone of a strong economy.”
Her remarks come amid growing concern that the government’s current budgetary allocation for the education sector remains insufficient to tackle persistent problems such as overcrowded classrooms, underpaid teachers, and limited access to vocational and entrepreneurial training.
Dr. Jallah said Liberia must prioritize human capital development if it hopes to compete in the regional and global economy. She emphasized the urgency of equipping students with 21st-century skills, calling for a renewed focus on science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
“The quality of a nation’s human resource is vital for its development,” she said, adding that investing in education is not just a moral obligation but a strategic imperative.
She also challenged graduates to use their degrees not as personal trophies but as tools for national transformation.
“The accumulation of knowledge means little if it doesn’t lead to practical results,” Dr. Jallah told the graduates. “What you’ve learned must add value to yourself, your family, your community, and your country.”
Encouraging a shift in mindset, she called on graduates to see every life as equally valuable and to act as ambassadors for education within their communities.
“We must see every life as valuable as our own — only then can progress be meaningful and lasting,” she said.
Dr. Jallah also urged the incoming government and lawmakers to back education reform with real resources, warning that Liberia risks falling further behind its West African neighbors if education is not treated as a top-tier national priority.
The 2025 graduating class of Cuttington University included 705 students across its three campuses. The Junior College in Kakata, Margibi County, conferred degrees on 46 students, while 254 graduated from the undergraduate program in Suakoko, Bong County. Another 341 earned degrees from the School of Graduate and Professional Studies in Monrovia. Additionally, 64 students received Postgraduate Diplomas in Education.
Founded in 1889, Cuttington University remains one of Liberia’s most respected institutions of higher learning, playing a vital role in producing professionals for the public and private sectors.
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