Ebola: Schools reopen in Liberia

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Ebola: Schools reopen in Liberia

Ebola: Schools reopen in Liberia

Students queue up to enrol for the new school year after Ebola

Schools are reopening across Liberia this week after months of closure due to the Ebola crisis.

Thousands of children who have missed out on lessons since July 2014 will return to classes to continue their studies.

Students are eager to return. Jimmy, a 16-year-old student from Nimba County, said: “I feel very excited that school is opening again, I miss all my friends and classmates and the lessons. Sitting home all this while was too wearisome for me.”

While we welcome the move to reopen schools, expertise and funding will be vital to ensure that they are reopened responsibly, with suitable support put in place for returning pupils.

Putting children first

Koala Oumarou, Country Director of Plan Liberia, said: "Children who are out of school and those who have become orphaned are at risk of early and forced marriage and other forms of abuse and exploitation, including child labour.

“It must be a priority to get children back into school. If these children are to contribute to the development of Liberia, it must start now with their education and learning.”

Liberia has had 8,668 suspected, probable or confirmed cases of Ebola. A total of 3,710 people have died in the country. (Source: WHO Situation Summary published 2 February)

Although the death rate has slowed, thousands of children have been orphaned by the virus, meaning that many are now unable to pay the fees to return to school.

A headmaster in Liberia is worried about the financial constraints of reopening the school

Financial concerns

It’s a concern shared by teachers across Liberia. Alex Wou, acting principal of St Lawrence Catholic School in Nimba County, explained: “Financial constraint is a major impediment. Parents and students have complained of lack of money to return to school.”

At St. Lawrence Catholic School, the average fee charged per student is $12,690 Liberian dollars for senior high division (around £90), $8,885 for junior high (approx. £60) and $6,755 (approx. £50) for elementary divisions respectively.

Mr Wou said he expects no more than half of the students to make it back to school this year.

Student Alex Flomo, 18, from Bomi County, admits that the struggle to pay school fees has dampened his enthusiasm for the news. “I am not too happy, because my mother does not have enough money to send me back to school this year,” he said.

“We are a family of seven – five boys and two girls. My mother had decided to send my elder brothers back to school, whilst the rest, including me, will have to wait until she’s fully back in business.”

Busy classrooms in Liberia after students return to school

Emotional support

Schools must be safe and supportive places. Plan is urging authorities to make sure educational facilities are properly disinfected, with enough water and soap for children to use. Regular hand washing should continue to be practised, and clear protocols must be followed for addressing suspected cases of Ebola in school.

Since children across Liberia have missed more than six months of schooling, we also recommend implementing measures to ensure that children are not disadvantaged. This may mean declaring the current academic year a revision year, and placing emphasis on health messaging and emotional support as children recover in the aftermath of the outbreak.

Children in Guinea have already gone back to school, and it is planned that schools will reopen in Sierra Leone in March.

Meanwhile our work continues as we tackle Ebola hotspots across the region. There is an urgent need to end the outbreak in as wide an area as possible, especially in remote areas that will become more difficult to access with the approach of the rainy season.