EDUCATION & CRENDENTIALS

University of Liberia

2012 Masters of Science Msc Regional Science

2001 Bachelor of Arts BA. Sociology, Minor: Demography   GPA: 3.4

University of Liberia

2010 Certificate, Faculty Enrichment Training Program 

University of Liberia

2009 LTTP Teacher Training Workshop

Others

West African Institution for Financial and Economic 

Management (WAIFEM) 

2018 Certificate, Strategic Workshop on Gender, 

National Accounts and the Economy Ghana, 

Accra

Liberia Institute of Protocol and Etiquette (LIPE)

2008 Diploma in Protocol and Etiquette

Information Technology Skills

2003 Microsoft office suit

Data analysis

EXPERIENCES

2016-present Instructor

Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Liberia 

2003-2015 Teaching Assistant

Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Liberia 

Examination Committee 2003-present

2012-present Honor faculty

University of Liberia Honor’s program

2008-present Students’ Advisor

University of Liberia

Research

2016-2017 Supervisor

Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive

Development Centre, University College London Sponsored Research on Understanding the Political and Institutional Conditions for Effective Poverty Reduction for Persons with Disabilities in Liberia.

Assist in reviewing research tools, facilitating training of research assistants, edit transcriptions, write out summaries of the data and assist in writing the report.

2015–2016 Supervisor

UNICEF sponsored qualitative study in Bong, Lofa, Montserrado and Margibi Counties on Understanding the Factors Fueling the Re-Emergence of The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) In Liberia.

Reviewing research tools, conducting interviews, facilitating focus group discussions, prepared transcriptions from data collected and assist in writing of the report.

2015 Facilitator/Supervisor, CAFOD, Islamic Relief, Christian Aid, & Tear Fund Perspective about Faith Leaders Role in the EVD response in Bong and Montserrado Counties.

Reviewing research tools, conducting

interviews, facilitating focus group discussions, prepared transcriptions from data collected and assist in writing of the report.

2014 -2015    Supervisor

John Hopkins University sponsored Community Perspectives about Ebola in Montserrado, Bong and, Lofa Counties done by Resource Center for Community Empowerment and Integrated Development (RECEIVE); Monrovia, Liberia

Assist in the reviewing research tools, facilitating training of research assistants, edit transcriptions, enter data in matrix, write out summaries of the data and assist in writing the report

SPEECH AT THE FORUM

Reasons young graduates are not adequately prepared for the job Market in Liberia

Our graduates are not adequately ready for current job market. The present-day job market is not what it used to be. Lots of things have changed and new technological innovations have change face of employment. Only students who are prepared and focused can make it in an environment where curricula are up to date and facilities are available to promote excellence in teaching and learning. Here are some of the reasons they are ill prepared for the job market:

Curriculum not relevant to current job market- The 14 year’s civil conflict inflicted deep wound that is yet to heal on the entire educational sector of Liberia, likewise any other. Post-conflict year, despite all efforts, things have not come back to normal. The curricula that most of the universities are operating are not current to give the kind of requisite skills current market demand. The challenge of the modern technology innovations in curriculum design and implementation are far from what most Universities have. When our new graduates get out there, seeking employment, employers are complaining of low productivity from these graduates. In some other instances, they are denied jobs because they see them as unemployable.

Lack of teaching and learning facilities. No teacher teaches a course or subject contents well if there are no teaching aids and other materials to enhance his or her job. There is a general lack of teaching materials in all schools at all levels especially in the areas of sciences. Imagine the last WAEC performance where high school students took science subjects and the failure rate was abysmal. The same with the University level where funding is a huge challenge. The labs are empty, and in most cases they are understaffed.

Young people not putting time to their study- Young people these days want everything done for them without doing much for themselves. It take adequate preparation for graduate to have a random education that prepare them for future markets. Today’s job market is very competitive and challenging, thus anyone who wants to be player should spend time to sharpen their skills. Imagine young people spend more time watching youtube latest music videos and killing productive hours on facebook, liking pictures and devoting less time to their studies.

When these three issues are worked all stakeholders, our graduates will be employable and they would meet the demand of the current volatile market where they can compete in the global job market and not only in Liberia.

PROBLEMS OF NATIONAL EDUCATION

The Liberia education system is faced with numerous problems and all these combined has helped to undermine effective teaching and learning for teachers and students alike. Here are some of the major challenges:

Funding- One of the biggest challenges facing national education in Liberia is inadequate funding. Without funding, teachers cannot be trained, new schools cannot be built, our classrooms will not be equipped and teaching materials as well as laboratory equipment and computers are absent. Lack of funding limit the capacity to enhance teaching and learning as well monitoring and supervision of education programs for quality compliance.

Standards- The standardization of programs and procedure as well as assessment tools for examination, operation of schools and qualifications for teacher is something that enhances functional education. The standards are low and below the region average, where the education sector compromise standard and the output mass failure among our students, semi-qualify teachers and instructors in class. Also, the institution or individual just wake up and open schools everywhere without any standard been followed and the result is mushroom elementary, high schools and universities everywhere. If this is worked on, our standard will be on par with any other country and our students will have the best that prepares them for the job market.

Curriculum- Curriculum must be designed to meet the challenges of the current job market, i.e they should be career driven. There is no coherence in the curriculum being implemented by schools. Different run different curriculum programs and some of them are out-of-date.

Unconducive learning environment- Most of the environment where children learn in the elementary and high schools is not the right one that can promote learning and teaching. There are places where children are seating on bare floor to learn. There are schools where children are parked in small classrooms to learn. Even in some universities due to lack of space, classrooms are overcrowded where instructor do not have space to move around let alone deliver audible lectures and conduct group learning exercises as the noise from the students swallow his or her voice. In other instance, classrooms are near the road side whereby vehicular movements constitute nuisance to effective teaching and learning.

As a committed teacher, I believe in continuous improvement of my capacity in order to continue to improve my teaching strategies to help my students prepare for future job market. So attending this conference to learn from experienced presenters in various areas in education will be another achievement in my chosen profession- teaching and research. I expect the following from the conference:

a. The forum will help improve my teaching capacities on the styles and methods of modern teaching 

b. Learn more about research in order to advance more research in social development.

c. Rub mind with colleagues from other parts of the world and learn about their environment-specific teaching strategies.

d. That by the close of the forum, knowledge and strategies in identifying and preparing students to meet up with current realities would have increased.