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Over 4,450 schools to receive kits, benefiting more than 700,000 children and 44,000 teachers.

Unicef, recently, began the distribution of 700,000 learning and teaching kits to thousands of schools across Liberia. These kits will help to ensure the continuity of learning for students in Liberia, post Ebola, by providing some of the basic educational items required during the school year. 

The 700,000 kits will be distributed to 4,460 schools in all Counties and Districts of Liberia.

“The education of over one million children was affected by the closure of schools during the peak of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia. We provided infection prevention and control kits to help schools reopen, and now that they have, we are providing these materials to assist students and teachers to teach and learn effectively using basic resources, so that children become productive citizens and future leaders of Liberia. This is consistent with the Child Friendly School Approach, the quality improvement framework which Unicef promotes worldwide,” says Sheldon Yett, Unicef’s Representative in Liberia.

The school/teaching kits contain chalk, chalkboard erasers, poster sheets, and permanent markers, hanging folders, reams of paper, manila folders, registration/enrolment books, attendance registers, and lesson plan books. The learning kits contain school bags, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, rulers, notebooks, yellow pads and geometry sets.

Unicef, with funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), purchased the teaching and learning materials for 4,460 schools. Unicef has been exclusively responsible for packing all of the 700,000 kits, and is working with Liberia’s Ministry of Education to distribute these materials. 

“Every child in Liberia needs to have an equal opportunity to education. Our goal is to create an enabling environment for children to go to school, engage in educational activity, and realize their full potential,” said Hon. George K. Werner, Liberia’s Minister of Education. “This is part of that process, and we are grateful to USAID and Unicef for providing this crucial assistance that will enhance the quality of teaching and learning in our schools.”

Unicef is working closely with the Ministry of Education staff, County and District Education Officers and school principals to ensure effective distribution of the supplies to all schools. The distribution process is expected to continue for the next 12 weeks. 

In February 2015, Unicef provided over 7,000 infection prevention and control kits to some 4,038 schools across Liberia. This was complemented by the distribution of kits to an additional 581 schools in April. The kits included buckets, soap, chlorine and cleaning items to help schools reduce the risk of transmission of Ebola.

While there has been no recent study done, the Liberia Out of School Children study in 2012, revealed that there were 571,555 children of school going age out of school and over 400,000 at the risk of dropping out. More than 30% of children who start grade one do not complete the primary school cycle. According to the 2014 EMIS, the net enrolment rate is only 26.7%. 

Notes for editors:

For further information please contact the Unicef UK Press Office on +44 (0)20 7375 6030 or media@unicef.org.uk

About Unicef

Unicef is the world’s leading organisation for children, promoting the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.  

Unicef UK raises funds to protect children in danger, transform their lives and build a safer world for tomorrow’s children.  As a registered charity we raise funds through donations from individuals, organisations and companies and we lobby and campaign to keep children safe. Unicef UK also runs programmes in schools, hospitals and with local authorities in the UK. For more information please visit unicef.org.uk