Assessment of the Effect of Ebola on Education in Liberia - February 2015

Following the Ebola outbreak, schools in Liberia were ordered closed in July 2014. They remained closed for more than 7 months, until the start of the school year 2014/2015, from 16 February onwards. In order to determine the impact of Ebola on education in Liberia, the Ministry of Education (MoE) and partners agreed to conduct a Joint Education Needs Assessment aimed at informing a) The reopening of the schools at the national, county and district level, and b) The upcoming education sector review.

The report Assessment of the effect of Ebola on education in Liberia presents the key findings of this assessment, and the recommendations that are intended to guide the work of the Education Cluster. Key findings cover the following issues:

• School closure and reopening
• Barriers and risks
• Infrastructure, school furniture and teaching/learning materials
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities
• Nutrition, health, psychosocial support (PSS) services
• Teachers and other education personnel

Recommendations included in the report are not meant to present quick fix solutions to issues identified during the assessment process, rather they are intended as a starting point for discussion for the MoE, Education Cluster and development partners to agree on priorities and who will take forward the activities. Recommendations cover the following areas:

• Issues for immediate action
• Implementation and Monitoring of the Protocols for Safe School Environments in the Ebola Outbreak in Liberia
• Encourage school enrollment and attendance
• Prepare the education sector for potential future crisis
• School improvement plans
• Strengthen child protection at school
• School health

The assessment was led by Landon Newby, Education Cluster Rapid Response Team member and Information Management Specialist.

http://educationcluster.net/lpresources/assessment-effect-ebola-education-liberia/

(ALSO SEE ADDITIONAL SUMMARY HERE)