By Stephanie M. Duncan
MONROVIA-President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to returning out-of-school children to classrooms, emphasizing stronger county-level participation and coordinated national action to strengthen Liberia’s education system.
President Boakai made the statement during the Presidential Mid-Term Review of the Back to My Classroom (BTMC) Campaign, where he called for greater involvement of county superintendents and local stakeholders in efforts to improve school enrollment, retention and learning conditions.
Launched in 2024, the Back to My Classroom Campaign seeks to return 250,000 out-of-school children to education by 2029, beginning with a target of 80,000 children across seven priority counties in 2026.
President Boakai urged county superintendents to take greater ownership of development activities within their respective counties, stressing that active county-level participation is essential to addressing challenges confronting the education sector.
According to the President, increased involvement of county authorities would not only strengthen education but also enable government to respond more effectively to broader development needs across the country.
He said greater county participation could create additional opportunities for young people to engage in educational activities, particularly on weekends, while encouraging the use of libraries and other learning spaces.
President Boakai said his interest in the initiative grew after reviewing reports from the Ministry of Education, particularly statistics showing the number of children who are out of school and counties with low enrollment rates.
“Sometimes we don’t know what we are losing,” President Boakai noted, expressing concern about children seen along roadsides instead of being in school.
He stressed that the children represent Liberia’s future and warned that keeping them out of school deprives the country of valuable talent and potential.
The President said returning children to school is a shared national responsibility requiring sustained commitment from government, county authorities, communities, families, schools, civil society organizations, development partners and other stakeholders.
He also officially endorsed the rollout of the strengthened Back to My Classroom model to six additional priority counties, following the establishment of the first county structure in Gbarpolu.
President Boakai further highlighted ongoing government efforts to improve learning conditions through the construction and renovation of schools and the implementation of the One Child, One Chair initiative.
He said it is unacceptable for children to sit in classrooms without chairs, emphasizing that inadequate learning conditions are unfair to the child, the country and society, particularly because some of these students could become Liberia’s future leaders and professionals.
Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah reaffirmed the government’s determination to translate President Boakai’s vision into measurable action, stressing that successfully bringing children back to school goes beyond simply increasing enrollment.
Minister Jallah said poverty, distance to school, disability, lack of birth documentation, inadequate facilities and other barriers continue to prevent some children from accessing and remaining in school.
She emphasized the need for a coordinated, child-centered response to address these challenges and ensure that children who return to school receive the support necessary to remain and succeed.
The Minister commended the collaborative approach of the Back to My Classroom Campaign, noting the importance of bringing government institutions, county authorities and partners together around the needs of each child.
The Presidential mid-term review brought together representatives of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), UNICEF, development partners, county authorities, civil society organizations and other stakeholders.
The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration and advancing the objectives of the Back to My Classroom Campaign, particularly efforts to increase school enrollment, encourage retention and ensure that children across Liberia return to and remain in school.
Since its launch, the campaign has strengthened national coordination, incorporated lessons from the Grand Bassa pilot, established the first County Steering Committee and Secretariat in Gbarpolu, and advanced mechanisms for coordinated referrals, child-level tracking, retention and accountability.
President Boakai welcomed the growing involvement of stakeholders at the county level and commended the Ministry of Education for bringing key actors together to address challenges confronting Liberia’s education sector.
The National Steering Committee reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Government of Liberia and development partners to support national education priorities and ensure that every child has an opportunity to access quality education.
With the campaign’s target of returning 250,000 children to school by 2029, the government and its partners are positioning the initiative as a long-term national effort to ensure that children are not left behind.
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