By George K. Momo
MONROVIA, Oct. 24 (LINA) – Mr. Amos Armah Fully, Deputy Minister for Instruction at the Ministry of Education (MOE), has blamed District Education Officers (DEOs) across Liberia for the deplorable and dilapidated conditions of school facilities, particularly within the private school system.
Deputy Minister Fully made the strong disclosure in Pleebo City, Maryland County, on Monday, October 19, 2026 during an engagement meeting with teachers, school administrators, and education stakeholders.
According to him, the alarming state of many schools operating across the country is a direct result of negligence and corrupt practices by some DEOs who are responsible for monitoring and supervising schools at the district level.
He alleged that some DEOs issue operational permits to schools without conducting any physical verification of their facilities, thereby allowing substandard schools to operate.
Minister Fully stressed that some DEOs fail to follow the Ministry of Education’s established policies and requirements for establishing and operating schools, and instead unilaterally grant permits to school proprietors at their own discretion.
“Some DEOs fail to follow the Ministry of Education’s policies and requirements for establishing and operating schools, instead unilaterally granting permits to school proprietors,” he stated.
Outlining the basic requirements for operating a school in Liberia, the Deputy Minister named qualified and certified teachers, proper school administration, suitable physical infrastructure, safe learning environment, and verifiable sources of income to sustain the school’s operations, among other conditions.
He alleged that some DEOs completely disregard these requirements, failing to verify schools’ sources of income and other critical criteria as part of the process for obtaining operational permits.
In a damning revelation, Deputy Minister Fully quoted some DEOs as allegedly engaging in bribery to approve schools.
According to him, after the compromised process is completed without proper verification, the documents are then submitted to the Ministry of Education in Monrovia through the relevant departments responsible for Basic and Secondary Education, making it appear as though due diligence was done.
The Deputy Minister warned that the Ministry will not continue to condone such unprofessional and corrupt practices, stating that they undermine the government’s efforts to improve quality education delivery and compromise the learning environment for thousands of students across the country.
He called on all DEOs to uphold professionalism, integrity, and to adhere strictly to the Ministry’s guidelines and standards in the issuance of school operational permits. He noted that the Ministry is putting in place stronger monitoring mechanisms to hold DEOs accountable.
His statement comes at a time when some school buildings across Liberia, especially in rural areas, are in deplorable conditions, lacking proper classrooms, furniture, latrines, and other basic facilities necessary for effective teaching and learning.