Financing for equity in primary and secondary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to schools
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
In Liberia, the Ministry of Education (MoE) is the central authority responsible for the financing, oversight, and strategic direction of public education across all levels, from pre-primary to secondary schools. The Ministry sets national policies, standards, and curricula, manages the education budget, and coordinates programmes to improve quality and access.
While the central Ministry retains overall authority, responsibilities for basic, lower secondary, and secondary education are increasingly decentralised to counties and districts. The 2011 Education Reform Act, the 2018 Local Government Act, and the 2022/3–2026/7 Education Sector Plan collectively promote this decentralisation, with county-level authorities and school boards taking a greater role in implementation, local monitoring, and feedback. Despite this shift, national guidance remains critical in ensuring consistency and compliance with overarching educational standards.
Government funding covers a broad spectrum of educational expenses, including teacher salaries, school infrastructure, curriculum development, learning materials, and professional development initiatives. Operational costs for public schools and quality improvement programmes are financed through a combination of national budget allocations, donor support, and private contributions. The primary financing mechanism begins with the national budget, from which the Ministry of Finance allocates resources to the MoE. The Ministry then channels funding to county education offices, which distribute resources to districts and individual schools, increasingly factoring in local input to improve efficiency and relevance.
Equity is a central focus of Liberia’s current education strategy. The 2022/3–2026/7 Education Sector Plan explicitly frames the budget as a pro-equity instrument, prioritising increased recurrent and capital expenditures for disadvantaged districts and under-enrolled groups, particularly the poorest girls and children with special needs. This approach aims to reduce disparities in access and ensure that public education serves all segments of the population effectively.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Liberia is administratively organised into 15 counties and 126 districts, with resources allocated under the Public Financial Management and Revenue Sharing Regulations. Counties receive a share of revenues from public services, natural resources, and local taxes, although financing remains highly centralised. Funds flow from the central government to counties in line with the annual budget law, with county and district administrators responsible for implementing national expenditure plans but lacking autonomy in budgeting.
For basic education, funds are allocated to the Ministry of Education through the national budget and then channelled to counties. No structured funding formula has been publicly documented. However, both the 2023/4–2026/7 Partnership Compact and the 2022/3–2026/7 Education Sector Plan commit to introducing an equitable funding formula by 2026. The Sector Plan further outlines school mapping to identify disadvantaged regions, development of inclusive and climate-resilient facilities, and full implementation of a decentralisation plan to ensure fair resource distribution based on local needs.
2. Education resources to schools
The 2022/3-2026/7 Education Sector Plan highlights ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Education and development partners to provide targeted support to disadvantaged schools and regions. Support has focused on capital investments, including the construction and maintenance of schools in remote areas and upgrading WASH facilities. At the primary and secondary levels, the plan proposes to reduce regional and gender disparities through the allocation of additional resources to underserved populations.
Incentives for Teachers in Hard-to-Reach Areas
The 2022/3-2026/7 Education Sector Plan outlines measures to attract and retain teachers in hard-to-reach areas. Planned interventions include the development of an incentive structure, such as accommodation for secondary teachers in rural locations, alongside a 156 per cent increase in the teacher incentives budget line over the period. These measures aim to support teacher deployment in remote areas and encourage greater female participation in the teaching profession.
3. Education resources to students and families
Support for Disadvantaged Students
The 2022/3–2026/7 Education Sector Plan sets out initiatives to support students in disadvantaged areas and students with disabilities. Planned measures include providing school uniforms and bags for students at the basic education level, with particular attention to girls, and ensuring free education for students with disabilities. The Ministry of Education has also launched an enrolment campaign targeting counties with low participation rates.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) is responsible for Liberia’s social welfare system. It develops policies and programmes for women, children and marginalised groups, and works with government agencies, development partners and civil society. While social protection in Liberia has long relied on external donor funding, recent budgets show the government increasing its own contribution and ownership.
Launched in 2024, the Street Child Project is a government-led initiative managed by the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection in partnership with Street Child Liberia. The programme provides support for homeless children, including access to education, shelter, healthcare, and family reintegration services. The Ministry of Education collaborates closely with the project, which aims to enrol 50,000 children in education.
5. School meal programmes
Liberia operates multiple school meal programmes, including the WFP-financed Liberia School Feeding Programme, Mary’s Meals International, and the Liberia Empowerment through Attendance, Reading and Nutrition Project (LEARN). These programmes are primarily funded by external donors, with contributions from the government, and provide in-school hot meals, typically lunch, five days a week during the school year. Meals are targeted to food-insecure and underserved communities, as well as schools with low enrolment and high dropout rates, focusing on pre-primary, primary, and secondary students in selected counties.
The programmes follow national nutritional guidelines under the supervision of nutritionists. Key interventions include food fortification with essential micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron, and iodine. Cooks are trained in nutrition, portion measurement, menu planning, and food safety, with objectives that combine nutritional, educational, and social protection outcomes.
