Liberian education officials are in Paris, France at UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Program (IIEP-UNESCO) to finalize the validation of Liberia’s Education Sector Plan (ESP) for the 2022-2026 period.

The validation workshop runs from June 10-17.

The Liberian delegation is headed by Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development Alton Kesselly and includes Assistant Minister for Planning, Research and Development Dominic Kweme, Assistant Minister for Basic and Secondary Education Felicia Doe-Simah, Director for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Alex Mbolonda and Technical Assistant Tolebee Kamara.

The core objectives of the workshop are to review and address important comments in the ESP draft document, review priority programs, activities and targets, agree or validate the macro framework for domestic resource mobilization, among others.

IIEP–UNESCO is an arm of UNESCO created in 1963 with headquarters in Paris, France.

Through its programs of training, technical assistance, policy research and knowledge sharing, the institute helps to develop the capacity of education actors to plan and manage their education systems.

The Liberian government with funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) contracted IIEP to do both the education sector analysis and plan since March last year.

Under the Theme: Getting to Best, Liberia’s ESP, which ended in 2021 is now being upgraded and updated by the education ministry, with support from its partners, after it received an Education Sector Plan Development Grant (ESDPG) from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

The ESP development is scheduled to be conducted until August 24.

Technical and consultative workshops were held between February and May to develop the initial draft of the plan produced by the ministry’s National Technical Team (NTT) with technical support from UNESCO-IIEP and the UNESCO office in Monrovia, the Liberian capital.

Isaac C. Yeah, Sr, Press/Public Affairs, Liberian embassy, Paris, France