Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has warned that teachers who remain on the government payroll while failing to report to their assigned schools will face the loss of their salaries, as the government intensifies efforts to improve accountability and efficiency in Liberia’s education sector.
Speaking Tuesday during the Executive Budget Hearings with the Ministry of Education, Ngafuan called for stronger oversight of teacher attendance, deployment and payroll management, arguing that limited public resources must be directed toward educators who are actively serving in classrooms.
The finance minister stressed that Liberia can no longer afford inefficiencies in its education wage bill at a time when the government is balancing competing demands in health, infrastructure, education and other priority sectors.
“We need to track what’s happening in the classrooms,” Ngafuan said, urging education authorities to strengthen systems for recruiting, deploying and monitoring teachers across the country.
He expressed concern over reports that some teachers assigned to rural and remote communities abandon their posts while continuing to receive government salaries, a practice he said undermines educational service delivery and diverts resources away from committed educators.
Ngafuan also questioned the current pathway through which individuals transition from volunteer teaching positions into formal government employment, emphasizing the need for greater transparency and accountability.
“We will hope that the normal way to enter the classrooms is emphasized more because it appears to enter the classroom you must volunteer and once you’re there, you’re incorporated on the payroll,” he noted.
The minister maintained that stronger verification mechanisms are needed to ensure teachers listed on the government payroll are physically present and teaching in their assigned schools.
He further called for a comprehensive assessment of teachers’ training institutions nationwide, arguing that investments in teacher preparation must be matched by robust accountability measures.
“Because if we pay those who aren’t in the classrooms, they are taking away money from those in the classrooms,” Ngafuan warned.
His remarks underscore a longstanding challenge confronting education system across many developing countries: ensuring that payroll records accurately reflect teachers who are actively delivering instruction.
The issue remains especially significant in Liberia, where schools in rural areas frequently struggle to attract and retain qualified teachers due to inadequate housing, transportation difficulties and poor educational infrastructure.
While Ngafuan focused on strengthening accountability within basic education, University of Liberia President Dr. Layli Maparyan used the same budget hearings to spotlight a major investment aimed at transforming the country’s leading public university.
Maparyan commended the Liberian government for allocating US$6.35 million toward the renovation, modernization and beautification of University of Liberia campuses.
Presenting achievements under the institution’s FY2026 budget allocation, she outlined a series of infrastructure projects intended to improve learning, teaching and administrative environments across multiple campuses.
Among the facilities currently undergoing renovation and modernization are the Graduate School, the Business College and the Medical School Academic Building, along with several quick-impact projects designed to address immediate infrastructure needs.
Additional facilities slated for improvement include the Law School Annex at Capitol Hill and three buildings at the Preclinical Health Sciences Campus in Fendall.
Maparyan also revealed plans to upgrade key facilities at the university’s Sinje Campus, including the Academic Building, Administrative Building, Boys’ Dormitory and Girls’ Dormitory. New entry gates are likewise planned for the Capitol Hill campus.
The investment represents one of the most significant recent commitments to higher education infrastructure in Liberia and comes as the University of Liberia continues to confront increasing enrollment pressures, aging facilities and the growing need for modern academic spaces.
Founded in 1862, the University of Liberia is among Africa’s oldest degree-granting institutions and has served as a cornerstone of the nation’s educational and professional development for more than 160 years.
The modernization initiative is expected to enhance lecture halls, laboratories, administrative facilities and student accommodations, helping the institution strengthen its capacity to produce skilled professionals in key sectors including law, medicine, education, business and public administration.
Together, the discussions at the Executive Budget Hearings highlighted two central priorities shaping Liberia’s education agenda: ensuring accountability in public spending and investing strategically in educational infrastructure.
While Ngafuan’s call for tighter teacher monitoring seeks to guarantee that public funds deliver measurable learning outcomes, the University of Liberia’s modernization program reflects broader efforts to strengthen human capital development through targeted investment.
For policymakers, the challenge will be ensuring that increased spending is accompanied by effective oversight, transparent implementation and tangible improvements in educational performance. The message emerging from the hearings was clear: public investment must be matched by public accountability if Liberia is to achieve its long-term education and development goals.
