The_Open_Door_deel1

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The (investment) activities of foreign investors, however, made
certain improvements imperative, such as a basic infrastructural
network of roads, ports, and communication facilities.
Simultaneously, the presence of foreign investors entailed the
need to deal with them in some organized and systematic way.
This necessity led to the establishment of a (large) number of
government institutions. As the development of infrastructure was
greatly in the interest of virtually all foreign investors they
and their home governments participated in the financing of these
facilities.
Some of the foreign investors had a (limited) interest in yet
another aspect of the country's potential: its labour force-
Notably the investors who for their operations needed a
considerable number of trained and educated people, the iron ore
mining companies, for instance, thus contributed to the building
up of a healthy and well-trained labour force by the financing
of medical facilities, schools, foreign scholarships etc. Those
companies which hardly required trained manpower showed their
lack of interest by not or scarcely participating in the
development of this manpower: the plantation companies, logging
companies, and the gold and diamond mining companies. Worth
noticing is also that expenditures for "Health" and "Education"
greatly increased after the 1939 - 1945 World War, i.e. after
the arrival of a large number of foreign investors. The
increased availibility of (financial) means to finance these
activities forms only one reason why the Government decided to
increase its efforts in these fields. But the failure of all
Administrations and the deplorable educational situation cannot
be better illustrated than by the words of Liberia's second
Vice-President of tribal origin, Methodist Bishop Bennie D.
Warner. In 1977, shortly before he was (formally) elected the
country's new Vice-President - after the death of James A.
Green - he said:
"(...) And, what is disturbing to me is that after 7 30
years
(meant here is 130 years after the Declaration of Independence -
the author)
there is such a high rate of illiteracy even with such
a small population as ours. I See no justification for
this.(...)" (2).
The 'introduction and gradual expansion of an educational system
throughout the country will be discussed in this chapter.
Special attention wijl be given to the activities of the
Government and the foreign companies with respect to the
attainment of a certain degree of independence from foreign
qualified (trained and skilled) manpower. The two main ways to
realize or promote this independence are: (1) a transfer of
technology by the multinational corporations and foreign
companies operating in the country, and (2) a pragmatic and
systematic educational policy which is based on the country's
primary needs, and which is adapted to the country's economic
potential and its endowment with natural resources. This policy
is reflected by the schools' curricula and the availability