Leaders in Teaching (LIT) Liberia

Challenge

The secondary education system in Liberia faces significant challenges. Teacher shortages are widespread, particularly in STEM subjects, and only about half of teachers meet the required qualifications. Financial barriers, the low number of female teachers, and limited opportunities for professional development for teachers further weaken the system and reduce student outcomes. More than 6,000 volunteer teachers help fill critical gaps, especially in underserved regions, but most lack formal training. Despite these obstacles, there are significant opportunities to strengthen Liberia’s secondary education system and improve both teaching quality and student learning.

EDC, through the Mastercard Foundation Leaders in Teaching (LIT) Liberia program, is addressing these challenges in partnership with the Ministry of Education and a consortium of national and international organizations. The five-year LIT Liberia project aims to transform secondary education in Liberia by strengthening teacher recruitment, training, leadership, and motivation to build a high-quality and sustainable education system that prepares students with the skills they need for lifelong learning, employment, and adult life.

Key Activities

• Recruit and support new teachers to strengthen the secondary school workforce across Liberia
• Deliver pre-service and in-service teacher training focused on improving teaching quality and learning outcomes—particularly in STEM
• Develop and strengthen school leadership and management capacity to enhance education system performance
• Implement teacher motivation strategies that promote inclusion, gender equity, and support for marginalized youth
• Provide technical quality assurance and oversee curriculum assessment and modification in collaboration with the Ministry of Education
• Conduct capacity-strengthening activities with local partners to promote sustainability and locally led education solutions

Impact

• Strengthens teaching and learning in more than 2,000 schools, including all of Liberia’s public and community secondary schools and many of Liberia’s private schools
• Improves the quality of teaching and learning by supporting teacher recruitment, high-quality training, and professional growth for educators across the country.
• Strengthens school and district leadership to enhance education management, supervision and instructional quality
• Provides work-readiness and life skills to 50,000 students, through after-school, club-based activities that prepare them for future opportunities
• Creates sustainable accelerated learning opportunities for out-of-school youth, helping them to reenter education and connect to employment and entrepreneurship pathways.
• Promotes inclusion and gender equity and improves access to outcomes in STEM fields