The Death of Potential: Liberia’s Self-Inflicted Education Crisis

Philip Pleiwon is a social entrepreneur and recognized human capital development expert. With experience leading education reform in six African countries, he is dedicated to empowering young Africans with skills to drive the future. He can be reached at phil@imanoportal.com

Last month, in a basement office in Monrovia, I watched a teacher with 15 years of experience fail a sixth-grade math test. She wasn’t an outlier—she represented the norm in a nation that ranks 155th out of 156 countries according to the 2023 World Bank Human Capital Index. After a decade of traversing Africa’s education landscape, from Ethiopia’s ambitious reforms to Rwanda’s digital revolution, I can confidently state that Liberia isn’t just failing at education. We’re actively manufacturing ignorance.

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