Technology
2. Technology laws, policies, plans and regulations
2.1. Education technology legislative and policy framework
2.2. Technology infrastructures, technological capacity of schools and learning environments
2.3. Technology competencies of learners and teachers
3.1. Institutions in charge of technology in education and coordination mechanisms
1. Terminology
The term information and communication technologies (ICTs) is used in several government documents, including the 2019-24 ICT Policy and the National Telecommunications Policy and Strategy, but no definition of the term is provided.
There is no use of the term education technology (EdTech) in legal, policy or strategy documents. The 2019-24 ICT Policy only refers to e-education and distance learning.
2. Technology laws, policies, plans and regulations
2.1. Education technology legislative and policy framework
Constitution and laws: The 2011 Education Reform Act aims to develop, design and implement all basic and secondary education programs and policies in consonance with the changing needs of the society (Art. 3.3.7), with no specific mention of technology. There is also no mention of technology in the country’s 1986 Constitution.
The 2007 Telecommunications Act (as amended in 2021) provides for universal access to telecommunications services (including internet services) in Liberia, with no explicit reference to education institutions (Section 22).
Policies, plans and strategies: The 2021–2026 ICT in Education Strategy commits to embedding ICT in teaching, learning, and assessment in Liberian schools and details objectives and activities in four key areas: (1) teaching, learning, and assessment using ICT; (2) teacher professional learning; (3) leadership, research, and policy; and (4) ICT infrastructure.
The 2019-24 ICT Policy includes provisions for ICT in education (e-education), with a vision to transform Liberia into a regional knowledge-based economy and inclusive information society with enhanced social development for all. The mission of the policy is to enable fully integrated Information Communication Technologies that support economic development and social inclusion for all Liberians. The e-education strategy specifically aims to expand school ICT infrastructure, promote distance learning, develop ICT curricula, develop standards for the certification of ICT professionals, and improve access to e-learning for people with disabilities.
The National Telecommunications Policy and Strategy promotes universal access in primary and secondary schools and universities.
The 2022/23–2026/27 Education Sector Plan aims to harness the capacity of ICT to improve access, quality, and management of education and training systems, with several ICT objectives.
There is no provision for EdTech or ICT in the 2017-21 Getting to Best Education Sector Plan.
Digital competency frameworks: The 2020 National Teacher Professional Performance Standards for Liberia (developed in 2007 and revised in 2020) include ICT standards for teachers under “teaching skills” (Standard 2.7). According to the COVID-19 Education Emergency Response Plan, there is a new competency framework for teachers. For students, the 2019 National Curriculum Framework identifies key competencies, values, and beliefs for the Liberian education system, which include digital skills, as stated in the 2021 National Learning Assessment Policy.
Changes occurred as a result of COVID-19: The COVID-19 Education Emergency Response Plan for Liberia was guided by the lessons from the Ebola response and recovery interventions, with both short-term and long-term responses that aimed for system strengthening. Areas that were outlined to be strengthened in the education system included teaching-learning materials, institutional learning continuity system, assessment, teacher quality improvement, capacity development in different governance structures, school quality improvement, and monitoring and accountability. The 2022/23–2026/27 Education Sector Plan further supports the use of blended learning, which combines face-to-face with online teaching and learning, which emerged with the COVID-19 pandemic.
2.2. Technology infrastructures, technological capacity of schools and learning environments
2.2.1. Technology infrastructure and digital capacity of schools
Electricity: The 2015 Electricity Law aims to expand the availability of electricity services on a sustainable basis with the goal of attaining universal service, without referring specifically to educational institutions), facilitating the implementation of the 2009 National Energy Policy. The 2009 National Energy Policy sets targets for 25% of the schools in rural areas to have access to modern energy services for lighting, information and communication to meet basic needs and be equipped with productive energy capacity. Schools are also included as part of the National Telecommunications Policy and Strategy, which provides universal access funding for solar power or renewable energy sources. The 2018 Rural and Renewable Energy Master Plan similarly prioritises solar energy in schools, and aims for all secondary schools to be electrified by 2025. The 2017-21 Getting to Best Education Sector Plan also includes the proportion of schools with access to electricity as an indicator of school quality.
Computers and devices: The 2019-24 ICT Policy aims to encourage all educational institutions to invest in computers and work with the private sector to create affordable packages and schemes under which students, teachers and educational institutions can afford ICT products and services. The National Telecommunications Policy and Strategy supports for advanced information technology equipment (including computer hardware) to be available in all schools, with adequate technical support, access to needed upgrades, and training on their use.
As part of the Liberia Education Advancement Programme (LEAP), private school operators like Bridge International Academies use tablets, smartphones and cloud-based technologies to support and monitor teachers.
Internet connectivity: The 2019-24 ICT Policy includes several provisions for increasing access to internet connectivity in schools. One of its key objectives is establishing a National Education and Research Network (NREN) as an internet service provider for all secondary and tertiary education institutions which provides them with access to high speed internet and digital educational services. The policy specifically aims to improve internet access in schools by 20% over the current level, with the government encouraging investment in the National Fiber Backbone as a platform to promote economic services such as e-Education programs. The government additionally aims on using the National Universal Access Program to support the construction of ICT infrastructure in areas partially or wholly inaccessible to communication services to promote access and connectivity that can benefit e-education. In the National Telecommunications Policy and Strategy, the government additionally encourages the establishment of Community Access Points (CAPs) or Multi-Purpose Community Telecenters (MCTs) in rural or peri-urban areas of the country, as an initial means of providing universal access to telecommunication services in these areas. These may include the establishment of discounted community tariffs for Internet access services for public services in rural areas, such as schools.
The 2007 Telecommunications Act (as amended in 2021) provides for universal access to internet services in Liberia, although there is no explicit mention of this applying to education institutions (Section 22).
2.2.2. Technology and learning environments
Distance education is strongly promoted in the 2019-24 ICT Policy, which aims to promote electronic distance learning, training and virtual learning systems to complement and supplement campus-based education and training systems. The policy specifically supports the use of ICT (including distance learning) to improve the quality of education delivery in all areas and the development and deployment of a nationwide e-education system (through the design of a national e-education strategy). E-learning (in addition to an e-learning curriculum) is promoted at all education levels, public-private partnerships encouraged to mobilie resources in order to support e-learning initiatives. Instructional radio programs were used at the pre-primary, primary and junior high levels in response to school closures caused by the Ebola pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19 school closures, the MoE provided various distance learning platforms in close collaboration with civil society, INGOs, NGOs, and private foundations operating in the education sector. Drawing from the distance learning experiences of the Ebola epidemic in 2014, the MoE committed over 8 million USD in learning continuity support (including accelerated learning packages) through online platforms, radio, SMS, and printed material. According to the COVID-19 Education Emergency Response Plan (which includes both short-term and long-term response strategies), equity issues were taken into consideration, with targeted support for children in remote areas, children with special needs, and children of lower socioeconomic status who were disproportionately affected by the learning disruptions.
2.3. Technology competencies of learners and teachers
2.3.1. Learners
The 2019-24 ICT Policy encourages the development of student digital skills, especially for the most disadvantaged such as people with special needs and women. It aims to ensure that all skill building and training programs are developed considering the needs of girls and women across all educational levels, offering training opportunities from basic skills to more advanced coding and design. The 2019 National Curriculum Framework includes digital skills as part of its key competencies for students.
The 2011 Education Reform Act encourages the development of trained science and mathematics students, while the 2017-21 Getting to Best Education Sector Plan includes science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as part of Liberia’s strategic and economic development opportunities. The plan acknowledges the shortage of women in STEM subjects, which the 2019-24 ICT Policy through provisions in mainstreaming gender and women in ICT. It aims to establish quotas to ensure the equal participation of women and other disadvantaged groups in all programs supported by national policies and plans, especially rural and poor populations. The 2022/23–2026/27 Education Sector Plan similarly places STEM education development as one its high priorities, supporting the increased training and careers in the STEM and digital education field to develop a capable workforce with skills needed for the 21st century, and scientific literacy, starting from the early childhood level. This includes the provision of gender-responsive teaching in STEM subjects, mainstreaming digital technology into all existing curricula, and helping students acquire the basic digital literacy skills that have become crucial in today’s global society.
2.3.2. Teachers
The 2020 National Teacher Professional Performance Standards for Liberia includes ICT competencies as part of the key teaching skills, with teachers expected to make use of available modern ICT and incorporate ICT into their practice to support learning. As a basic standards, teachers are expected to use a variety of appropriate instructional materials including technology, know parts of a computer and basic computer operations, use computer software, the internet, emails and other communication devices. A teacher is considered proficient in these skills if they integrate a variety of technology tools and applications into their instructional design and implementation.
The 2022/23–2026/27 Education Sector Plan focuses several of its objectives on providing teachers with digital literacy skills and helping teachers adapt their pedagogical practices to incorporate and use digital technologies. It aims for teacher training institutes to train teachers in the use of digital classrooms and the implementation of digital content, while professional development programs should include ICT as part of their training. The 2019-24 ICT Policy further promotes teachers to be trained in ICT by a 50% increase over the current level, in addition to providing an ICT center of excellence to provide support to teachers in their professional development.
2.4. Cybersecurity and safety
2.4.1. Data privacy
The 2019-24 ICT Policy includes a dedicated section for Consumer Privacy, Data Protection and Child Protection, without explicitly referring to schools. Liberia’s Data Protection Policy is based on universal data protection principles, which include the fair and lawful processing of personal data and the adequate, relevant and non-excessive use of personal data in relation to the purpose(s) for which they are processed. There is no specific mention of education.
The 2019-24 ICT Policy encourages the adoption of a consumer protection policy that ensures consumers of ICT services are protected from unfair and deceptive marketing practices.
2.4.2. Online abuse and cyberbullying
The 2021 Cybercrime Act provides for the prohibition, prevention, detection, response and prosecution of cybercrime in Liberia (including child pornography, cyberstalking, cyberterrorism, distribution of harmful data messages, and distribution of data messages on intimate image without consent), with no explicit mention of education. The COVID-19 Education Emergency Response Plan aimed to strengthe child protection and care in schools and communities by tracking child abuse incidences and identifying and supporting abused children.
The 2019-24 ICT Policy promotes the development of a consumer and child protection policy, in addition to ensuring that online safety mechanisms are in place to support youth use of technology and increase awareness among youth about cyber-security issues.
3. Governance
3.1. Institutions in charge of technology in education and coordination mechanisms
The Ministry of Education (MoE) does not have a department or agency under its purview that is focused on EdTech or ICT in education, but plans on developing an e-Education Policy as a cardinal part of its reform agenda. The MoE is responsible for the ICT curriculum, ICT skills development, the development of a national e-education strategy, ICT training for teachers, and supporting the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications in enhancing ICT infrastructure.
The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications is responsible for determining and implementing the country’s ICT policy and development strategy (which includes education provisions), being the head of the ICT sector and advising the Government of Liberia (GoL) on telecommunications and ICT matters. The Ministry is especially responsibe for ensuring there is an enabling environment and sufficient backbone infrastructure for the deployment of ICT services.
The Liberia Telecommunications Authority is the independent ICT regulator in Liberia, with primary responsibility to implement the government’s policies on the sector and develop regulations, orders and rules to govern the sector in implementing National ICT policies. This includes the protection of consumer rights, developing regulations for universal access programs, and ensuring ICT equipment imported in the country meets international standards.
3.2. Roles of schools
There is no specific law, policy or strategy regarding the use of mobile devices in schools.
