By: Emmanuel Tobotinho Quiah
As schools across Liberia prepare for the 2026/2027 academic year, a persistent shortage of qualified teachers at Karloken High School is raising fresh concerns about the quality of education available to students in the community.
Rev. Lusebioh Towiah, Principal of the government-run elementary and junior high school, says the institution is struggling with an insufficient number of instructors, with Mathematics and Physics among the subjects most seriously affected.
Speaking to reporters during a media tour in Karloken, Karluway District, on August 8, 2026, Rev. Towiah said the school has repeatedly communicated its staffing needs to relevant education authorities, but the problem remains unresolved.
The principal’s concerns raise questions about whether rural schools such as Karloken High School are receiving adequate attention in the government’s teacher deployment and education planning processes.
According to Rev. Towiah, the shortage has placed significant pressure on the school’s existing teaching staff, who are being forced to handle increased workloads to keep classes running.
He warned that relying on a limited number of teachers could have serious consequences for students, particularly those preparing for national examinations where strong instruction in core subjects is critical.
”The shortage of teachers, especially in Mathematics and Physics, continues to undermine effective teaching and learning at our school,” Rev. Towiah said.
He added that school authorities have made repeated appeals to the appropriate authorities but have yet to see concrete action to address the shortage.
The shortage of Mathematics and Physics teachers is particularly concerning because both subjects require specialized instruction and are important components of secondary-level education.
Without qualified instructors, students may have limited opportunities for regular classroom instruction, practical exercises, academic guidance and preparation for examinations.
The principal identified Mathematics and Physics as major areas of concern at Karloken High School, no figures were immediately provided on the school’s current teacher-to-student ratio or the number of teaching positions that remain vacant.
Karloken’s situation highlights a longstanding challenge facing Liberia’s education sector, ensuring that qualified teachers are distributed not only to urban centers but also to schools in remote and rural communities.
For parents and students in Karloken, the issue is more than a staffing problem. A prolonged shortage of teachers could affect students’ academic development, examination performance and long-term educational opportunities.
The reopening of schools for the new academic year has therefore intensified calls for the Ministry of Education and other responsible authorities to intervene before the staffing gap becomes more difficult to address.
Rev. Towiah is calling on the Ministry of Education and the Government of Liberia to urgently deploy additional qualified instructors to Karloken High School, particularly teachers capable of handling Mathematics and Physics.
He said providing adequate teaching personnel would help reduce the workload on existing instructors and improve the overall quality of education at the school.
The principal’s appeal also places the spotlight on the government’s teacher deployment system and whether staffing decisions adequately reflect the needs of schools outside major population centers.
As the 2026/2027 academic year gets underway, the question confronting education authorities is whether Karloken High School will receive the teachers it needs or whether students will once again be expected to learn under conditions of severe staffing constraints.
For now, school administrators, teachers, parents and students are waiting for a response from the relevant authorities.
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