The_Open_Door_deel1

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Out of the total of 142 schools only about ten gave instruction
above the eighth grade - having a student population of about one
hundred. About 24 public schools were located in the Hinterland
having an enrolment of over 700 students. This, however,
represented a significant increase when compared with 1920 when
there were only 2 public schools reported in the Hinterland,
having 45 students (36). It was estimated that only some six
hundred out of the total enrolment of nearly nine thousand
(Table 52) were Americo-Liberians (37). This relatively low figure
is partly explained by the fact that the more prosperous Americo-
Liberians sent their children abroad for education (Sierra Leone,
England, U.S.A.) (38). In this respect it is important to know
that most mission schools were village schools though their
educational programme was largely evangelical. Most of their
teachers were of tribal origin, unpaid and untrained (39).
The Tubman Administration
In 1944 the number of schools (251) and of pupils (19,000) had
increased with some 77 and 118 per cent respectively compared to
the 1925/26 situation (see also Table 59). Public schools,
numbering 187, had an enrolment of 11,267 pupils, whom were
taught by a total of 235 teachers. The relative importance of
public schools in the Hinterland with respect to the total number
of public schools had remained virtually unchanged: from 43 per
cent in 1925/26 to 45 per cent in 1944 (40).
All observers of the Liberian educational system were unanimous
in their opinion that this system was of an extremely low standard.
This low level is partly explained by the fact that the
Government required no special training, qualification or level
of education to teach at any school at any level in the country.
This did not change until 1947. Of equal importance to note here
is that these schools offered a foreign (American) oriented curriculum
and that they had excluded the study of Liberian history,
geography, traditions, tribal customs, languages, folkways, etc.
Only in the 1950's did the Government begin to require courses
in Liberian history, geography and civics in the elementary and
secondary schools (41).
As a consequence the few Liberians who were educated in Liberia
were ill-prepared to participate effectively in the socioeconomic
development of their country. On the other hand, the
foreign-trained Liberians (of wealthy or politically powerful
Americo-Liberian origin) were much better equipped to participate
in their country's affairs than those who had received education
at home.
Another consequence was that when the* Government made a more
realistic curriculum compulsary for all schools there were
virtually no books adapted to the country's needs. Given the
educational background of most Liberians who had received some
kind of education Liberians were - in general - unable to write
books on their own country.