Published: October 17, 2026
MONROVIA — LICOSESS College of Education has signed a 15-year agreement with Opportunity Network Liberia (ONL) to assume management and academic leadership of the CAN Leadership Academy School System, bringing three campuses serving approximately 1,690 students in Montserrado, Bong and Nimba counties under a new administrative and educational framework.
The agreement, signed Aug. 3, 2026, transfers responsibility for the academy’s academic administration, institutional management and quality assurance to LICOSESS, while ONL, the founding organization, retains strategic oversight.
The partnership is intended to improve academic standards, strengthen teacher preparation, introduce professional management practices and establish a coordinated education system linking classroom instruction with teacher training.
Under the arrangement, CAN Leadership Academy will also become an official LICOSESS Demonstration School, allowing trainee teachers to gain supervised classroom experience while pursuing their professional education.
The agreement followed transition meetings held July 30 and 31 in Jacob Town, Montserrado County; Gbarnga, Bong County; and Neigbein, Nimba County.
The meetings brought together school administrators, teachers and support staff to discuss the new management structure, institutional responsibilities and implementation plans.
Dr. Benjamin Yele Wehye, an official of LICOSESS College of Education, said the partnership is guided by academic excellence, professional management, transparency, accountability, child protection, financial sustainability and continuous teacher development.
According to Wehye, the arrangement also emphasizes innovation in teaching, institutional growth and stronger supervision of academic activities across the three campuses.
A central component of the agreement is the integration of teacher education with practical classroom instruction.
Through the demonstration school arrangement, students pursuing teaching qualifications at LICOSESS will have opportunities to undertake supervised classroom assignments, develop instructional skills and apply educational theories in actual teaching environments.
The initiative is also intended to strengthen cooperation between experienced classroom teachers and trainee educators, allowing both groups to participate in professional development activities.
The three CAN Leadership Academy campuses currently enroll approximately 1,690 students, including 790 in Montserrado County, 400 in Bong County and 500 in Nimba County.
Together, the institutions have 65 classrooms, 20 administrative offices, more than 40 modern bathrooms with running water, two 50-kilovolt-ampere standby generators, campus-wide water systems and Starlink internet connectivity.
Other educational resources include approximately 2,000 student chairs, 75 student desks, science materials, office equipment and multimedia instructional tools.
The agreement also covers musical instruments for arts education and nine industrial tailoring machines intended to support vocational training.
Guest houses in Montserrado and Bong counties, containing more than 20 accommodation rooms, are among the institutional facilities included in the arrangement.
As part of the transition, Wehye disclosed that LICOSESS plans to relocate its Patmelia Annex to the CAN Leadership Academy campus in Jacob Town beginning with the September-November 2026 trimester.
The college also intends to relocate its Bong County operations from St. Peter’s Episcopal High School to facilities covered under the partnership.
According to the institution, the planned relocations will bring teacher education programs closer to established primary and secondary school classrooms, allowing trainee teachers to gain practical experience as part of their academic preparation.
The agreement further introduces administrative and governance reforms aimed at improving institutional accountability and operational efficiency.
These include strengthened financial management systems, transparent human resource procedures, performance monitoring, modern procurement practices and continuous professional development for teachers and administrators.
A Partnership Council will provide joint oversight of the arrangement, while child safeguarding and quality assurance policies will guide institutional operations.
The two organizations also plan to establish a coordinated education system connecting early childhood, primary, secondary and teacher education programs.
Eric Wowoh, chief executive officer of CAN Leadership Academy, said the partnership is expected to improve classroom instruction, strengthen academic supervision and expand access to quality education in the three counties.
He identified professional teacher development and improved school management among the expected benefits of the agreement.
Meanwhile, implementation activities have begun ahead of the 2026-27 academic year.
According to the institutions, ongoing preparations include staff recruitment, a free vacation and enrichment school program, campus engineering assessments, classroom readiness inspections and infrastructure renovations.
Other activities include intensive teacher training and student admissions from nursery through 12th grade.
LICOSESS also plans to expand its college-level education programs across Montserrado, Bong and Nimba counties, providing additional opportunities for aspiring teachers and practicing educators seeking professional qualifications.
The expansion is intended to increase access to teacher education while allowing the college to use CAN Leadership Academy campuses as practical training centers.
Both institutions said the partnership will support improved learning outcomes, professional teaching standards and stronger school administration throughout the 15-year agreement.
Under the new structure, LICOSESS will manage the academy’s academic and administrative operations, while ONL will continue exercising strategic oversight as the founding organization.
The agreement establishes a framework for the two institutions to coordinate school management, teacher preparation, infrastructure development and educational services across their campuses.
The institutions said implementation will continue through the 2026-27 academic year, with emphasis on classroom readiness, teacher development, institutional accountability and student learning.
Discussion about this post