Liberia Moves to Bring 250,000 Children Back to Classrooms

By Stephen G. Fellajuah

Monrovia, Liberia, August 17, 2026 – President Joseph Nyumq Boakai has intensified efforts to return 250,000 out-of-school children to classrooms by 2029, warning that keeping young Liberians out of school could undermine their future prospects and fuel broader social challenges

President Boakai made the call Friday, August 14, 2026, when he convened the first National Steering Committee meeting of the Back to My Classroom Campaign at the Executive Mansion’s President’s Tea House in Monrovia.

The meeting brought together senior government officials, county authorities, education stakeholders, UNICEF Liberia, development partners and other actors involved in efforts to identify, enroll, track and retain children who are outside the formal education system.

Officials said the meeting was not a relaunch of the campaign but an accountability checkpoint aimed at formalizing responsibilities, assessing county readiness, strengthening political leadership and addressing financing requirements.

The campaign, launched as a presidential initiative in 2024, has set a national target of returning 250,000 children to learning by 2029.

The implementation plan targets 80,000 children in 2026, followed by 60,000 in 2027, another 60,000 in 2028 and 50,000 in 2029.

However, President Boakai stressed that success should not be measured solely by the number of children registered in schools.

He said the government must establish systems capable of keeping children in school and ensuring that they receive meaningful learning.

The President suggested that counties that demonstrate strong performance in both enrollment and retention could eventually be recognized for their achievements.

He urged county superintendents, local authorities, communities, teachers and parents to take ownership of the campaign and become active participants in addressing the country’s education crisis.

He said the magnitude of Liberia’s education challenge became clearer after reviewing statistics showing significant numbers of children outside the school system.

“Those children are part of this country. Those children are the future of this country,” he said.

He said government’s responsibility extends beyond constructing schools and enrolling students to ensuring that children have basic learning materials, furniture and a conducive environment.

He also warned that failing to educate children could contribute to future social problems while depriving Liberia of the opportunity to identify and develop talented young people.

The President said government must continue removing practical barriers to education.

He also linked the campaign to his broader effort to establish stronger institutions and systems that can outlast individual administrations.

UNICEF Calls for Results

Speaking at the meeting, UNICEF Deputy Representative for Programme, Amadou A. Cisse, said President Boakai’s decision to personally convene the National Steering Committee sends a strong message that education is a national priority.

Cisse recalled that President Boakai had drawn national attention to Liberia’s education crisis two years ago, particularly the large number of children outside the formal education system.

“Nearly one in two Liberian children of school age are out of school,” Cisse said, describing the government’s ambition to return 250,000 children to learning as both “overwhelming” and worthy of national commitment.

He said the campaign should not be viewed merely as a government policy but as an effort to translate the fundamental right to education into reality.

According to Cisse, the challenge is particularly severe among younger children, with an estimated 90 percent of children aged six to 11 reportedly out of school.

He also highlighted barriers facing adolescent girls, noting that 32 percent of girls aged 15 to 19 are pregnant and/or early mothers, further complicating efforts to keep them in education.

Cisse said children outside school face interconnected challenges, including poverty, disability, distance, child labor and displacement.

He called on the National Steering Committee to strengthen coordination and accountability, mobilize resources and partnerships, and accelerate implementation at the county and community levels.

Cisse further urged the committee to ensure that available resources match the ambition of returning 250,000 children to learning.

He assured the government that UNICEF would continue supporting data systems needed to identify children outside school and track their progress after they return to learning.

Government Moves From Planning to Implementation

Minister of State Without Portfolio Mamaka Bility, who welcomed participants, said the government was moving from preparation to implementation.

She said the immediate goal is to reach 80,000 children during the campaign’s first phase, while cautioning that enrollment figures alone should not determine success.

Bility said the steering committee must provide the political leadership, institutional ownership, coordination and accountability required to transform the presidential initiative into measurable results.

For her part, Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah said the Back to My Classroom Campaign remains critical because the barriers keeping children out of school are complex and cannot be addressed by the education sector alone.

Earlier, providing an overview of the campaign, Dr. Daniel Henry Smith disclosed that the government’s financial contribution toward implementation is projected at US$5 million annually.

He clarified that the amount represents the government’s contribution and does not include financial commitments from development partners.

The campaign has now entered its county activation phase, with Gbarpolu becoming the first county to establish its structure and sign a county-level memorandum of understanding.