By Dorcas T. Gboerreh-Boe
MONROVIA, Oct. 21 (LINA) —The Government of Liberia has condemned a protest involving students from the D-Tweh public school in New Kru Town who reportedly blocked roads, following a dispute over teachers’ demands for salary increases.
Speaking during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing on Thursday, Daniel O. Sando, Deputy Minister for Press and Public Affairs at the Ministry of Information, said the Ministry of Education is convening a meeting with stakeholders from the teachers’ association and the school system to address the situation and discuss the concerns raised.
He further commended the Liberia National Police for handling the protest professionally, noting that no reports of brutality had been received so far.
According to Minister Sando, the protest followed the abandonment of classes by some teachers who were reportedly demanding salary increases, after which students were allegedly encouraged to take to the streets to draw public attention to their concerns.
Describing the action as unacceptable, warning that professional teachers should use established channels to address employment-related grievances rather than disrupt classes or involve students in protests.
“It is unacceptable. The government will not tolerate any such action. Teachers have a responsibility to protect students and ensure that their education is not disrupted by disputes over employment conditions”, Sando said.
Meanwhile, Minister Sando further clarified that salary adjustments within the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) cannot be decided independently by the school system, stressing that any proposed salary increment must be discussed and addressed at the appropriate government level.
He further disclosed that more than 430 teachers had been removed from the government payroll across the 26 schools within the MCSS network, but emphasized that the reported protest was not related to volunteer teachers.
He at the same time criticized comments circulating on social media that appeared to link teachers’ salary demands to political consequences for the administration, describing such statements as inappropriate.
According to him, the Ministry of Education is expected to engage the leadership of the MCSS teachers’ association and other relevant stakeholders to find a way forward, adding that the Minister of Education had promised to communicate the outcome of the meeting through the government’s official communication channels.
The outcome of the discussion is expected to clarify the government’s position on the teachers’ demands and determine the next steps toward resolving the dispute.