The District Education Officer (DEO) of Pleebo School District, Mr. Melvin Krayee, has ordered the suspension of all academic activities at the New Pleebo Extension Elementary and Junior High School, citing low student enrollment and an imbalance in teacher distribution across the district.
In a bold move to reform the education system under the new Unity Party-led government, Mr. Krayee revealed that the school, which has just 57 students spanning elementary to junior high levels, is currently served by 16 government-paid teachers. Meanwhile, other schools such as Pleebo High School, which hosts over 1,500 students, operate with just 12 government-paid teachers and depend heavily on volunteer staff.
“This disparity is unjustifiable and amounts to a misuse of public education resources,” Mr. Krayee said.
As part of immediate reforms, the DEO has recommended the permanent closure of the school to the Ministry of Education via the County Education Officer. While awaiting a final decision, the school remains suspended, and its teachers are being redeployed to high-need schools across the district. These include Pleebo High School, New Pleebo High School, and Sodoken Central High School, where critical staff shortages exist — including a lack of English teachers.
The DEO also disclosed that students already enrolled for the next academic year will be absorbed by nearby schools such as Pleebo Extension High School and Sodoken Central Extension School, ensuring no disruption to their education.
Mr. Krayee did not mince words when addressing alleged malpractice by staff at the affected school. He accused some teachers of moonlighting in private schools by day and using the New Pleebo Extension School merely as a resting place at night, despite having no students in attendance during evening hours.
“Our surprise night inspections revealed absentee students and exhausted teachers,” he explained. “Additionally, the school administration had submitted inflated enrollment numbers, claiming over 100 students — a claim our investigations disproved.”
He emphasized that the reassignment of teachers is not punitive but necessary to strengthen schools facing acute staff shortages and to enhance accountability in the education sector.
The New Pleebo Extension School is one of 51 schools under Mr. Krayee’s jurisdiction and the only one facing such drastic measures — a reflection, he says, of the urgency to prioritize resource allocation and restore integrity in Liberia’s public education system.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
