-Sanniquellie Central High Faces Student Surge Amid Teacher and Infrastructure Shortages
By Shallon S. Gonlor
NIMBA COUNTY, Liberia – Sanniquellie Central High School, the oldest government school in Nimba County, is struggling to cope with a growing student population of more than 900, amid severe shortages of teachers, desks, and other learning materials. Established in 1964, the school has become a cornerstone of education in the region but is now stretched to its limits, raising concerns about the quality of learning and the future of its students.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, the school’s principal, Mr. Alvin Wahyeah, admitted that the situation has placed enormous strain on both students and teachers. “We have a limited number of chairs. When it comes to instructional staff, we are also challenged. And we are coping, addressing them gradually,” he said. The principal explained that despite the overwhelming enrollment numbers, fewer than 100 students have formally registered, leaving the school dependent on modest registration fees of L$2,000 for junior high and L$3,000 for senior high to carry out basic repairs.
Mr. Wahyeah pointed out that the shortage of qualified teachers has forced existing staff to take on heavier workloads, with some teaching multiple subjects. In his own case, he often leaves his administrative duties to teach physics and trigonometry, a situation he described as far from ideal. “I see that our students are eager to learn. They are coming in numbers, but because of the population, we don’t have the manpower,” he lamented.
The principal stressed that the challenges confronting Sanniquellie Central High are part of a broader national crisis in the education sector, where insufficient teachers remain a pressing issue. He said the government lacks the capacity to employ enough instructors to meet the growing demand, leaving schools like his to find stopgap measures. “If someone was teaching two or three classes, we just add it up. It increases the burden, but it’s the only way to keep things going,” he said.
With 26 government high schools across Nimba County, the pressure on limited resources is significant. The principal expressed cautious optimism that the government would intervene, noting that statistics on student enrollment and staffing needs had already been submitted to the Ministry of Education. “The government is trying, but it’s a gradual process. We are hopeful that maybe by next week or anytime soon there will be an intervention,” Mr. Wahyeah said.
Government’s Response and Education Reform Efforts
The challenges at Sanniquellie Central High School reflect broader systemic issues within Liberia’s education sector. The Ministry of Education, under the Boakai-Koung administration, has launched a series of reforms to improve access, quality, and equity in education. During the government’s recent town hall meeting in Sanniquellie, Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, represented by Deputy Minister for Administration Atty. Nyekeh Y. Forkpa, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to transforming the sector and addressing longstanding challenges.
A nationwide assessment carried out by Minister Jallah shortly after assuming office revealed widespread problems, including dilapidated school buildings, high costs of education that make it inaccessible for many families, and an alarming number of volunteer teachers working without pay or with inadequate compensation.
In response, the government has expanded 28 junior high schools into senior high schools to allow students to complete their education closer to home. It has also established science laboratories in 28 high schools, with plans to add 50 more this academic year, and introduced computer labs in 156 schools, with a vision to extend them to all public high schools. Additionally, the Ministry has committed to procuring 20,000 chairs for public schools to ease the shortage of seating and has moved to place over 2,000 volunteer teachers on the government payroll to address issues of unpaid and underpaid staff.
A Balancing Act
Despite these efforts, the situation at Sanniquellie Central High illustrates the uphill battle Liberia still faces in delivering affordable, equitable, and quality education under the ARREST development pillars of the Boakai-Koung government. The school’s overcrowded classrooms and shortage of teachers not only compromise the quality of instruction but also risk discouraging eager students who see education as their pathway to opportunity.
For now, the resilience of teachers, administrators, and students at Sanniquellie Central High underscores both the promise and the pressing needs of Liberia’s education system. As the government continues to roll out its reforms, the hope remains that interventions will come swiftly enough to relieve the burden on schools like Sanniquellie and secure the future of Liberia’s next generation of leaders.
