By Amos Harris
A storm is brewing in Liberia’s education sector as the National Volunteer Teachers Network of Liberia (NVTNL) mobilizes its members to descend on the Capitol Building
Demanding answers from Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, who faces a fresh round of Senate questioning over what critics are calling a payroll scandal.
In a blistering statement, the NVTNL accused the Minister of peddling half-truths and evading accountability during her September 4 appearance before the Senate
When she claimed that 2,307 volunteer teachers had been “processed” but admitted that only 458 names were submitted to the Ministry of Finance for payroll placement.
Senators, unconvinced by her testimony, ordered her back with full documentation to explain the glaring discrepancies.
“The numbers don’t add up, and neither do the excuses,” the NVTNL charged, pointing to what they describe as a deliberate attempt to keep thousands of classroom teachers in limbo while the Ministry hides behind technicalities.
At the heart of the controversy is the government’s opaque classification of some teachers as “unqualified.”
The NVTNL argues that this designation is being weaponized to deny hardworking Liberians their rightful salaries, even though many of these same individuals continue to teach daily in overcrowded classrooms.
“If these teachers are truly unqualified, why are they still in front of students?” the statement pressed.
“The government cannot have it both ways exploiting their labor while branding them unfit for payroll.”
The group is demanding that the Ministry immediately publish a full list of teachers it considers unqualified, disclose the criteria behind those judgments, and compensate all who have served for years without pay.
Volunteer teachers plan to converge at the University of Liberia campus at 8:00 a.m. before marching to the Capitol Building.
Organizers have called on members to bring placards, service records, and a firm commitment to nonviolence.
Their five core demands are, Immediate employment of all qualified volunteer teachers, Public disclosure of the “unqualified” list and criteria
Compensation for unqualified teachers who have served, a transparent, binding timeline for payroll placements, an end to broken promises and shifting excuses from education authorities
The NVTNL insists that Monday Senate hearing is more than routine oversight it is a test of the legislature’s seriousness in confronting systemic mismanagement within the Education Ministry.
“This reappearance signals that our lawmakers are alarmed by the inconsistencies in the Minister’s claims,” the group stated.
“We will not sit idly by while she makes unchallenged statements about our lives and livelihoods.”
The statement, signed by General Secretary Michael B. Moore, National Chairman John D. Nimely, and Public Relations Officer Patrick D. Walker, ended with a stark warning:
