By Raine Tarka Golegio, Monrovia
The government of Liberia through the Ministry of Education has announced the inclusion of at least four hundred and thirteen (413) volunteer teachers to the government’s payroll.
In a brief statement on the official Facebook page of the Ministry of Education on late Friday July 8, 2022, the Ministry revealed that the inclusion is in an effort to expand the number of volunteer teachers on the government’s payroll for the month of June 2022, increasing the previous two hundred (200) volunteers that were added in May to a total of 613 volunteer teachers enlisted in the last two months.
The release further that, the Ministry is working with its Civil Service Agency (CSA) counterpart to process an additional five hundred (500) volunteers onto the payroll for August of this year.
What has been a major challenge for the inclusion of volunteer teachers to government’s payroll has been centered around the lack of finance which in 2019, Deputy Minister of Education for Administration Latim Da –Thong told Plenary of the House of Representatives that it will cost US$4 million to place all current public school teachers on the government payroll.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education release didn’t indicate whether they are fully funded to take on such task of including four hundred and thirteen (413) volunteer teachers to government’s payroll.
Volunteer teachers do not receive full compensation, but instead volunteer their services to gain experience in the expectation of being hired full-time when a vacancy arises.