Liberia: MCSS Teachers Launch Go-Slow

What the report says

Teachers in Liberia’s Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) have begun a go-slow in Monrovia after saying the government failed to carry out commitments from a March 27, 2025 memorandum of understanding. The action, reported by The New Dawn and distributed by AllAfrica, started on September 8 and was organized by the Monrovia Consolidated School System Teachers’ Association (MCSSTA). The association says the deal followed an earlier one-day strike and was meant to address teacher employment, salary adjustments and stronger support for classroom supplies.

According to MCSSTA president Augustine N. Nyormui, the agreement called for the regularization of volunteer teachers, pay increases for staff who later earned higher degrees, and more budget support for basic instructional materials. He said teachers have continued to buy items such as chalk and attendance books with their own money. The association also says it tried for months to secure implementation, including a public awareness campaign in August, but has not reached a resolution.

MCSS communications director Samuel Nyenuh disputed the teachers’ account, saying the current administration has no record of the cited agreement. The Ministry of Education, through communications director J. Maxime Bleetahn, also said it was unaware of the MOU. Bleetahn added that the government has expanded the payroll and is still working to hire more teachers. The dispute matters because it affects classroom operations and reflects broader tensions over pay, staffing and school funding in Liberia’s public education system.