It appears President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's government is racing against time to deliver and leave imprints on the legacy of the ruling Unity Party. On education for primary school pupils, she ran to a private US firm for the rescue.
Above:
Shannon May and
Jay Kimmelman, co-founders of US-based Bridges International Academies. The Republic of Liberia has engaged the entity to privatize the entire pre-primary and primary education in country. Based on its statements, Bridges International Academies operates the largest chain of private schools in Africa.
When President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf took office in January 2006, she promised to revitalize educational facilities and the entire sector and said, "
Mrs. Bush and I share a common passion and commitment to gender equity and the education of the girl child". Mrs. Bush is the wife of the then President George. W. Bush. If President Johnson-Sirleaf knew of any African role model championing education for the girl child and gender equality, she did not enthuse on that. The necessity for the statement is even baffling.
Of course, any parent is entitled to enroll his or her child in a private school. It is an option that millions of Africans have made and continue to make. Bridges International Academies is likewise entitled to sell its services and operate in the free market. So the issue is not about personal choice or anti corporate profit.
The situation is different and within legitimate public discourse on the responsibility of the public sector public and contradictions with AU harmonizing goals.
Here is an experiment unheard of in any part of the world and, yes, in Africa where the President's vision leads to the outsourcing of the
entire public education system to a private, for-profit firm. Facebook (Mark Zuckerberg); Bill Gates; International Finance Corporation, the World Bank's private-sector arm; etc. are named as some of big investors (see more at the end of the mail), with stakes in the kind of curriculum in the schools.
A curriculum does not only deal with content standards (what learners are supposed to know and be able to do); it involves the types of books, teaching, methods, and exams, and also the implicit curricula - meaning the school culture and ethos - values and orientations that shape the learners' mentalities as they proceed in their lifelong journey of learning and application.
How does Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's actions relate to the headline?
In January 2016, the African Union (AU) announced the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25) driven by assessed need to transform and integrate African education and training system geared towards the development of knowledge, skill and values for achieving the vision of the Union, which is articulated in Agenda 2063.
The strategy is also meant to reorient Africa's education and training systems to meet and improve the knowledge, competencies, skills, innovation, and creativity required to nurture African core values and promote sustainable development at the national, sub-regional and continental levels and prepare students for employment in the 21st century global economy.
At the press briefing, AUC Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology Dr Martial De-Paul Ikounga said that the strategy moves away from perspective and minimalist goals of human rights that demands human empowerment through creating enabling conditions to help individuals and nations realize their potential.
Now, common people on the street are wondering if some African leaders read their own declarations upon proclamations or are serious about "The Africa We Want." The wonderment is prompted when these leaders display a dizzying form of cognitive dissonance in governance.
What the AU adopted on education is in black and white - written and documented. Normally, President Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson and her Minister of Education, Mr. George Werner, were expected to read, agree or disagree. But when African leaders come out of the Summits and embark on an opposite direction from what was proclaimed, it typifies the intractable African problem that has plagued Africa with lack of cohesive unity.
Madam Sirleaf-Johnson's leadership in this instance, unfortunately, rekindles doubts and disillusions. Participating as a leader of a Member State, she knows or ought to know that private, foreign companies have no level of responsibility in accounting for the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of education based on strategic implementation plan of Agenda 2063 or any other African Common Position.
Liberia will use tax-payers monies or borrow to pay over $65 million in a five-year period for support services to the private, for-profit, US-based company.
Under the arrangement, Bridges International Academies will decide and design curriculum materials from April to September 2017. In phase two, the company while roll-out mass implementation over 5 years, "with government exit possible each year dependent on provided performance from September 2017 onwards," according to a report on Liberia's FrontPage Newspaper. The Liberian government will eventually wash its hands off its responsibility to ensure basic education to its most vulnerable population.
The company says it will improve results "based on USAID- designed exams" administered by an independent monitoring and evaluation company.
If so, it does not explain why USAID is not setting exams in America and why this US company has not sold its idea to public school districts in America despite abysmal records in some of the lowest performing schools where more than half of the students cannot read and write at grade level, like in the Baltimore City School System near the nation's capital or Prince George's County.
Private companies manage schools in the public school system, in the case of charter schools, and account to the public school system. The government does not privatize public school systems despite calls from some conservative policy makers to abolish the Department of Education in favor of free market. Similarly unclear is how Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf was discovered as the receptive leader for this manner of experiment in Africa.
The Minister of Education in Liberia continued: "Eventually the Ministry of Education is aiming to contract out all primary and early childhood education schools to private providers who meet the required standards over 5 year period" the article in FrontlinePage reported.
The mass and most ambitious privatization attempt in Africa's recent history has generated controversies and for good reasons.
The UN's Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Kishore Singh, described the scheme as "unprecedented at the scale currently being proposed and violates Liberia's legal and moral obligations. The UN official and human rights expert noted that provision of public education of good quality is a core function of the State. "Abandoning this to the commercial benefit of a private company constitutes a gross violation of the right to education," said Sing.
Meanwhile, foreign supporters, as echoed in Mail & Guardian Africa, say Africa should sit up and pay attention to this "education innovation" company that has roots in Silicon Valley.
But this information is not siting well with some African stakeholders who teach. So far, Teacher Unions in the region are decidedly against Bridges International Academies taking over public education, arguing that it will discourage the employment of qualified teachers.
Tuition fees are actually not cheap - $6 a term is still prohibitive for most poor families, as often they have more than one school-going child.
A joint statement, from several civil society organizations in Kenya and Uganda opposing Bridge where the company operates private schools, indicates that for the poorest half of Kenyan households who earn Ksh7,000 ($70) or less per month, sending three children to a Bridge Academies would cost at least 24% of their monthly income.
"Taking into account more realistic monthly costs of $17 that include school meals, the proportion rises to at least 68% of their monthly income," the statement says.
If Liberia of less than 4 million people cannot manage its primary education, does it not make the case for Liberia to support the current Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA)? Does it not make sense to solicit expertise from the region and/or Diaspora non-profit organizations that can collaborate and align the standards with CESA? Many forums and conferences have been held on improving education in Africa, including with Diaspora experts and intellectuals. Best practices exist.
Where is the value of self-reliant development, especially when the departure from it undercuts Africa's position?
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is serving her last two six-year term in office, which expires in 2017. Hopefully, the ramifications of privatizing the public education system should be weighed to ensure that country is not left entrapped in financial debts and mental bondage.
