THERE ARE MOMENTS WHEN a government policy lands not in a press release, but in a mother’s sigh of relief. When Ma Esther Darbeh heard the news about the government decision to abolish or stop registration fees for primary schools’ students – from Kindergarten to 6th grade – she exhaled deeply. “This is great; this is encouraging, this is rewarding; this deserves our appreciations as parents with school-going children,” she said. Ma Darbeh is not alone. Across Liberia, from Monrovia to Buchanan to Voinjama, parents are breathing a little easier this week, and they have good reason.
WORKING THROUGH THE MINISTRY of Education, the Liberian Government as acted with no revocation the abolishment of registration fees for all public primary school students beginning with the 2026/2027 academic year. By this directive, parents and guardians will no longer be required to pay registration fees to enroll children in public primary schools. The Ministry has instructed parents to take their children directly to public schools for enrollment without paying any charges. It has also warned that any school demanding fees in violation of the policy should be reported immediately through an official channel to be announced soon. The initiative is being implemented with support from the EXCEL Project and school grant funding.
THIS DECISION MATTERS MUCH because it seeks to help schools cover operational costs while ensuring that no child is denied a seat because their parents cannot pay. In a country where poverty remains stubborn and household budgets are stretched, registration fees, however small, have been a wall between children and classrooms. For many families, choosing between registration fees, transport fare, uniforms, and a bag of rice is not a choice at all. Very often, the result is late enrollment, irregular attendance, and dropouts. By removing that first barrier, government is doing three things at once. They are expanding access to more children, especially from low-income homes, start school on time; they are also improving attendance when parents are not scrambling to raise fees at the start of term, and children are more likely to stay in class; more so, it reduces dropouts, which is to say that it will help because keeping children in school through Grade 6 builds the foundation for junior and senior high, and eventually for jobs and nation-building.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT, besides the appositeness of the decision, that abolishing fees is the right first step, but it cannot be the only step also. It is our conviction that for this policy to succeed, three things must happen, that funding should flow and not get dry, that the EXCEL Project and that school grants must actually reach principals and PTA accounts on time. Knowing that schools still need chalk, benches, toilets, and teachers, if money does not flow, schools will find other ways to charge parents. Most importantly, enforcement must be real, and this is why the Ministry’s warning is welcome. Now it must be backed by spot checks, a working hotline, and consequences for administrators who violate the directive. Parents need to know where and how to report. The issue matching quality with access matters too. Getting children into classrooms is only half the battle. We must also ensure there are enough teachers, books, and learning materials so that enrollment translates into learning.
AS IT IS KNOWN, education is not charity; it is investment. Every child who learns to read in Grade 1 is one less person dependent on aid in 10 years. Every girl who completes primary school is more likely to raise a healthier family and contribute to the economy. Ma Esther’s exhale is the sound of that investment beginning. It is the sound of a parent who can now plan for notebooks instead of registration forms. Of course, this is a move worth hailing. By taking the decision, the Boakai administration has made a direct, tangible intervention in the lives of ordinary Liberians. It aligns with the promise of the ARREST Agenda to put people first. Howbeit, this decision will be less meaningful in the absence of implementation, monitoring, and follow-through. If government, partners, communities, and school administrators work together, this policy will not just be a headline. It will be the reason thousands more Liberian children walk into a classroom this September — and stay there. This should not be seen as politics, but a big step into progress. All we can say is, Kudos to the president for this policy decision
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