Liberia has officially abolished school registration fees for primary education, removing a significant financial barrier that has kept hundreds of thousands of children out of the classroom.
The Liberian government confirmed that starting with the upcoming academic year on September 7, all registration fees from kindergarten through grade six will be scrapped across public schools nationwide.
The policy shift follows findings detailed in a Human Rights Watch report titled “Without Education, There Will Be Nothing.” The study revealed that registration fees placed severe strain on low-income and rural households, leaving approximately one-third of Liberian children unable to attend school and forcing many others into child labor or irregular attendance to cover educational costs.
Child rights advocates in the country have hailed the initiative as a major milestone for basic education. If fully implemented, the policy is expected to increase enrollment, boost retention rates, and relieve financial distress for struggling families.
–ChannelAfrica/HRW–
