When 14 years of civil war ended in 2003, Liberia was left with decrepit schools. Many children carried Kalashnikovs rather than textbooks. Since then Liberian governments have tried to start afresh. But, in part because of the outbreak of Ebola in 2014, efforts to improve education have made halting progress.
The consequences are grim. Less than 40 percent of school-age children attend primary school. By the time they are 18, girls are more likely to be married than literate. Just one woman in four who has finished primary school can read a sentence. According to a study published in 2014, more than 40 percent of girls have been asked for sex in return for better grades, money or school supplies.
One reason for optimism, however, is Partnership Schools for Liberia (PSL), a pilot scheme run by the education ministry with help from Ark, a British education group. Drawing on American charter schools and English academies, last year the ministry delegated management of 93 public schools to eight independent operators, three of whom are private firms. Policymakers from countries such as Ghana, India and Nigeria are monitoring PSL carefully as they consider trying similar ideas.
Initial results from PSL suggest that would be wise. On September 7, researchers from two think-tanks, the Centre for Global Development and Innovations for Poverty Action, published their analysis of the scheme’s first year. On average, pupils at PSL schools spend about twice as much time learning as their peers at ordinary schools — a result of them turning up more often, relatively diligent teaching and longer school days. Some operators perform better than others. But overall, pupils at PSL schools made roughly an additional seven months’ worth of progress in English and maths compared with children at typical public institutions.
These benefits came at a cost. Liberia’s government typically spends about $50 (Rs.3,250) per pupil per year. PSL schools could dip into a philanthropic pot and spend twice that amount. A few operators then add their own funding. Bridge International Academies, a company that runs 25 schools, spent several times more than most other operators.