Werner said although there was an increment in the Ministry of Education’s allotment in the 2015/2016 draft budget, the amount that was appropriated is inadequate for the envisaged transformation of the country's educational system.
 
Speaking at the Ministry of Information regular press conference in Monrovia Thursday, Werner noted that the MOE’s plan to transform the nation's education sector from “mess to best” requires a holistic approach that will adequately address the budgetary gaps faced by the ministry.
 
He explained that the government is spending about 6 percent of the national budget on the ministry and 12 percent on the overall educational sector which includes the state-run universities and community colleges.
 
Werner indicated that the MOE made a proposal in which it called on the government to double the amount allocated to the educational sector to empower the ministry to concentrate on rebranding the sector.
 
“What we are saying is that the Government of Liberia needs to rebuild; our people want us to work reliably and they want to track our progress; we know we must deliver to inculcate trust in the system and between government and its citizens we must leapfrog to catch up with our regional counterparts,” Werner indicated.
 
The ministry was allotted a total of US$77.7 million out of the overall US$604 million in the draft 2015/2016 fiscal budget, leaving it to grapple with the challenges of meeting its objective of transforming the nation’s education sector.
LINA WSG/JGT/TSS/PTK