By Jessica Cox
MONROVIA, The Ministry of Education says the government has purchased more than US$1 million worth of science equipment for schools across Liberia, as part of efforts to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah said the equipment is ready for deployment, with county education officers receiving the supplies for distribution to schools.
She said the investment goes beyond the provision of equipment, noting that the government is also retrofitting science laboratories to ensure schools have the facilities needed for practical science education.
“We are retrofitting science labs,” Minister Jallah said, adding that the Ministry has purchased more than US$1 million worth of science equipment that is ready for deployment.
The equipment includes materials needed to support practical laboratory activities, with the Minister referencing burners and other science equipment being distributed through the county education structures.
The latest investment builds on an ongoing Ministry program to strengthen STEM education across the country.
In July, the Ministry announced the nationwide distribution of STEM laboratory materials to 50 schools across Liberia’s 16 educational counties. The initiative is expected to benefit more than 25,000 students.
The Ministry said the selected schools are being equipped with laboratory materials, including microscopes, glassware, test tubes, dissection kits, anatomical models, science charts, chemicals and microbiology kits.
The laboratories for Chemistry, Biology and Physics at the selected schools are also being retrofitted, while STEM teachers are expected to receive specialized training on the safe and effective use of the equipment.
The Ministry has described the selected schools as STEM demonstration centers, with students from surrounding schools expected to benefit from access to practical science learning.
Minister Jallah said the government’s focus is to ensure that students have opportunities to learn science through practical activities rather than relying solely on classroom instruction.
The investment comes as the Ministry continues to implement broader reforms aimed at improving learning conditions and strengthening the education system.
Meanwhile, Minister Jallah has clarified that the government’s no-registration-fee policy applies specifically to public schools.
She said the policy does not apply to private schools.
The Ministry has announced that beginning with the 2026/2027 academic year, parents and guardians will no longer be required to pay registration fees for children attending public schools from kindergarten through Grade 6 anywhere in Liberia.
The Ministry has urged parents to report any public school that demands registration fees.
Minister Jallah also said the Ministry is continuing its geographic mapping of schools across Liberia.
She explained that the number of private schools previously reported by the Ministry is not final because teams are still moving from county to county to physically map schools.
“We’re geomapping now all of the schools,” she said, noting that the exercise has already been completed in some counties and is continuing in others.
The ongoing mapping exercise is expected to give the Ministry more accurate information on the location and status of schools and strengthen education planning and monitoring.
The Ministry is also recruiting youth field-monitoring interns to support school monitoring, geo-mapping, school quality assessments and other education activities across the country.
For STEM education, however, the immediate focus remains on getting laboratory equipment into schools and ensuring that the facilities and teachers are prepared to use them.
With the latest procurement and distribution efforts, the Education Ministry says it is seeking to give more Liberian students access to practical science education while simultaneously addressing broader challenges in school access, monitoring and learning conditions.
