LIBERIA ǀ EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT .
LIBERIA ǀ EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTSABER COUNTRY REPORT 2012LiberiaEARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTPolicy GoalsSABER Country Report2012Status1. Establishing an Enabling EnvironmentThe 2012 Child’s Act and National Inter-Sectoral Policy on Early ChildhoodDevelopment (NIPECD) are important achievements towards developing an effectiveenabling environment and comprehensive Early Childhood Development (ECD)system. Concerted efforts are required to implement the policy and coordinateacross sectors. In parallel with greater financial investment, a more detailedmethodology for calculating ECD expenditures could increase effectiveness ofinvestment.2. Implementing WidelyThe civil war devastated much of the physical, human, and organizationalinfrastructure in Liberia. Despite recent efforts to restore the education, health, andnutrition delivery systems, coverage levels remain low, and often it is the poorest,most marginalized children who are not served. It is important to continue to expandservice delivery in all sectors to ensure that children have the opportunity to reachtheir potential in life. This should include an emphasis on children with disability.3. Monitoring and Assuring QualityData to monitor access and quality of ECD are not widely available, and an effectiveregulatory framework to ensure compliance with established service delivery andinfrastructure standards is lacking. Overpopulated classrooms limit student learningand undermine educators’ ability to teach.SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS1THE WORLD BANK
SABER COUNTRY REPORT 2012LIBERIA ǀ EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTchildren lack the necessary services to reach theirpotential in life.OverviewThis report presents an analysis of the Early ChildhoodDevelopment (ECD) programs and policies which affectyoung children in the Republic of Liberia. It is part of aseries of reports prepared by the World Bank using theSABER-ECD framework 1 and includes analysis of earlylearning, health, nutrition and social and childprotection policies and interventions in Liberia, alongwith some regional and international comparisons.The SABER–Early Childhood DevelopmentAnalytical FrameworkSituated on the west coast of Africa, the Republic of Liberiais home to 3.3 million people (national population census,2008). The civil wars, which lasted from 1989 to 1996 and1999 to 2003, devastated most of Liberia’s infrastructureand had serious consequences for human development.In particular, a significant proportion of children were notreached with key ECD services in their early years andprimary schools are flooded with overage and ill-preparedchildren – these children are often sent back to preprimaryschool, which impacts student-to-teacher ratios and thequality of the classroom environment. In addition, thecapacity of ECD service delivery personnel was impacted.SABER – ECD collects, analyzes and disseminatescomprehensive information on ECD policies aroundthe world. In each participating country, multisectoral information is collected on ECD policies andprograms through a desk review of availablegovernment documents, data and literature andextensive interviews with a range of ce providers, civil society, developmentpartners and scholars. The SABER-ECD frameworkpresents a holistic and integrated assessmentof how the overall policy environment in acountry affects young children’s development. Thisassessment can be used to identify how countriesaddress the same policy challenges related to ECD,with the ultimate goal of designing effective policiesto support young children and their families.In 2011, the Bureau for Early Childhood Education wasformed, and in April 2012 the Government launched theNational Inter-sectorial Policy on Early ChildhoodDevelopment (NIPECD). Despite these achievements,Liberia’s ECD system remains weak. Coverage andquality in preprimary school are low, and too manyBox 1 presents an abbreviated list of interventions andpolicies that the SABER-ECD approach looks for incountries when assessing the level of ECD policydevelopment. This list is not exhaustive, but is meant toprovide an initial checklist for countries to consider thekey policies and interventions needed across sectors.Summary of key ECD indicators in Liberia andneighboring countriesEthiopiaIvoryCoastKenyaLiberiaMaliSierra LeoneInfant Mortality (deaths per 1,000 live births)6886557499114Under-5 Mortality (deaths per 1,000 live births)10612385103178174Moderate and severe stunting (under 5)51%40%35%42%27%36%Births attended by a skilled attendant6%57%44%46%49%42%Birth registration 2000-20107%55%60%4%81%51%Source: Government of Liberia and UNICEF.1SABER-ECD is one domain within the World Bank initiative,Systems Approach to Better Education Results (SABER), which isdesigned to provide comparable and comprehensive assessments ofcountry policies.SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS2
SABER COUNTRY REPORT 2012LIBERIA ǀ EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTBox 1: A checklist to consider how well ECD is promoted at the country levelWhat should be in place at the country level to promote coordinated and integrated ECD interventions foryoung children and their families?(**This requires coordination and planning across sectors**)Healthcare Standard health screenings for pregnant women Skilled attendants at delivery Childhood immunizations Well-child visitsNutrition Breastfeeding promotion Salt iodization Iron fortificationEarly Learning Parenting programs (during pregnancy, after delivery and throughout early childhood) High-quality childcare, especially for working parents Free preprimary school (preferably at least two years with developmentally appropriate curriculum andclassrooms, and quality assurance mechanisms)Social Protection Services for orphans and vulnerable children Policies to protect rights of children with special needs and promote their participation and access to ECD services Financial transfer mechanisms or income supports to reach the most vulnerable families (could include cashtransfers, social welfare, etc)Child Protection Mandated birth registration Job protection and breastfeeding breaks for new mothers Specific provisions in judicial system for young children Guaranteed paid parental leave of least six months Domestic violence laws and enforcement Tracking of child abuse (especially for young children) Training for law enforcement officers in regards to the particular needs of young childrenThree Key Policy Goals for ECDSABER-ECD identifies three core policy goals thatcountries should address to ensure optimal ECDoutcomes: Establishing an Enabling Environment,Implementing Widely and Monitoring and AssuringQuality. Improving ECD requires an integrated approachto address all three goals. As described in Figure 1, foreach policy goal, a series of policy levers are identified,through which decision-makers can strengthen ECD. 2Strengthening ECD policies can be viewed as acontinuum; as described in Table 1, countries can rangefrom a latent to advanced level of development withinthe different policy levers and goals.2These policy goals were identified based on evidence from impactevaluations, institutional analyses and a benchmarking exercise oftop-performing systems. For further information see “InvestingEarly: What Policies Matter” (forthcoming).SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS3
SABER COUNTRY REPORT 2012LIBERIA ǀ EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTNational laws and regulations do not promoteappropriate dietary consumption by pregnantwomen and young children. Liberia does not have arobust set of policies to promote prenatal and earlynutrition. There is no national policy to encouragesalt iodization, nor is there a policy to promote thefortification of staple food products with iron. TheGovernment has acknowledged that an effectivesystem is not in place, and in 2008 prepared theNational Nutrition Policy, which draws attention tothis deficiency and calls for strengthenedmicronutrient surveillance capabilities, including saltmonitoring, as well as support and enforcement oflegislation on food fortification. The policy does notoutline a specific plan or timetable to achieve theseobjectives. In addition, the International Code ofMarketing of Breast Milk Substitutes – ng promotion adopted by the WorldHealth Organization – is not enshrined in law inLiberia.Instead, adherence to the provisionssuggested in the Code is voluntary.Policy Goal 1: Establishing an EnablingEnvironment Policy Levers: Legal Framework Intersectoral Coordination FinanceAn Enabling Environment is the foundationfor effective ECD policy, providing the mechanisms andmeans to design and implement ECD policy. AnEnabling Environment consists of the following:the existence of an adequate legal and regulatoryframework to support ECD; coordination within sectorsand across institutions to deliver services effectively;and, sufficient fiscal resources with transparent andefficient allocation mechanisms.Policy Lever 1.1:Legal FrameworkThe legal framework comprises all of the laws andregulations which can affect the development ofyoung children in a country. The laws and regulationswhich impact ECD are diverse due to the array ofsectors which influence ECD and because of thedifferent constituencies that ECD policy can andshould target, including pregnant women, youngchildren and parents and caregivers.Preprimary school is not compulsory. Preprimaryeducation is formally part of the education system andis included within the Education Law, which states thatthe Government of Liberia is “committed to ensuringthat provisions are made for all children to receivesound preprimary education.” The law does not stateTable 1: ECD policy goals and levels of developmentLevel of DevelopmentECD PolicyGoalEstablishing anEnablingEnvironmentImplementingWidelyMonitoring andAssuring QualityLatent Non-existent legalframework; ad-hocfinancing; low intersectoral coordination.Low coverage; pilotprograms in somesectors; high inequalityin access andoutcomes.Minimal survey dataavailable; limitedstandards for provisionof ECD services; noenforcement.Emerging Minimal legal framework;some programs withsustained financing; someinter-sectoral coordination.Coverage expanding butgaps remain; programsestablished in a fewsectors; inequality in accessand outcomes.Information on outcomesat national level;standards for servicesexist in some sectors; nosystem to monitorcompliance.SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTSEstablished Regulations in some sectors;functioning inter-sectoralcoordination; sustainedfinancing.Near-universal coverage insome sectors; establishedprograms in most sectors;low inequality in access.Information on outcomes atnational, regional and locallevels; standards for servicesexist for most sectors; systemin place to regularly monitorcompliance.Advanced Developed legalframework; robust interinstitutionalcoordination; sustainedfinancing.Universal coverage;comprehensive strategiesacross sectors; integratedservices for all, sometailored and targeted.Information on outcomesfrom national toindividual levels;standards exist for allsectors; system in placeto regularly monitor andenforce compliance.4
LIBERIA ǀ EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTthat preprimary school is compulsory for all children.Preprimary school is for children aged 2 through 5, andprimary school begins at age 6. More details about thepreprimary system are provided in Policy Goal 2 of thisreport.Nationallawsmandatetheprovisionof some healthcare for pregnant women and youngchildren. In response to the post-war health challenges,the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare embarked ona long, difficult rebuilding process. Providing freehealthcare for pregnant women and young children is acritical component in this effort. One aspect is well-childvisits, which are publicly provided medicalappointments to evaluate a child’s general health anddevelopment. The Liberia Expanded Program onImmunization, in accordance with World HealthOrganization recommendations, requires that allchildren receive a complete course of immunizations. 3Currently there are no laws, regulations or policiesencouraging pregnant women to have standard healthscreenings for HIV and STDs.Policies do not provide suitable opportunities forparents and caregivers to provide care to newbornsand infants in their first year of life. The availability ofmaternal and paternal leave to care for newborns andinfants is not well developed or documented in Liberia.According to the World Bank’s Women, Business andthe Law database, the mandatory minimum length ofpaid maternity leave in Liberia is 90 days. This is paid bythe employer and does not apply to fathers. However,the Committee on the Elimination of Discriminationagainst Women (CEDAW) – which monitors theimplementation and adherence to the Convention onthe Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination againstWomen – raises concern that, in practice, women donot benefit from the maternity leave provisions setforth in law.Child protection policies and services are in the processof being established in Liberia. There is one juvenilecourt in the country, based in Monrovia. However, thejudiciary law allows all magistrate courts to sit as3EPI complete course of immunizations targets nine vaccinepreventable diseases: tuberculosis; diphtheria; pertussis; tetanus;poliomyelitis; measles; hepatitis B; Haemophilus influenza type b;and yellow fever.SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTSSABER COUNTRY REPORT 2012juvenile courts in cases of need. The newly createdChildren’s Law further develops the judicial systemmandating the right to a fair trial, and requiring thatpersonnel involved in the administration of juvenilejustice receive training. The Women and ChildProtection section within the Liberian National Policewas established in 2005; its activities includeprosecuting all cases involving women and children,reunifying children with parents, and creatingawareness for child protection.The Department of Social Welfare within the Ministry ofHealth and Social Welfare is tasked with theresponsibility of providing social services to the peopleof Liberia. This includes overseeing, managing, andsetting policy for orphanages in the country. The UNCommittee on the Rights of the Child notes that manyorphanages in Liberia offer children sub-standardservices and protection, with high incidences ofviolations of human rights.Policy states that all Liberian children are required to beregistered at birth, but in practice this is not the case.Liberia’s decentralized registration system was severelydamaged during the war, and as a result, birthregistration levels are very low (4 percent). Housedwithin the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, theGovernment developed a strategy to revive thedecentralized system, and currently has developedcapacity to promote birth registration in seven of 15counties. The remaining eight counties, which arecurrently managed at the central level, are scheduled tofollow suit by 2014. One of the main barriers which thestrategy addresses through enhanced awareness andpublic education – is a public perception that birthregistration is not important.Policy Lever 1.2:Intersectoral CoordinationDevelopment in early childhood is a multi-dimensionalprocess. In order to meet children’s diverse needs duringthe early years, government coordination is essential,both horizontally across different sectors as well asvertically from the local to national levels. In manycountries non-state actors (either domestic orinternational) participate in ECD service delivery; for thisreason, mechanisms to coordinate with non-state actorsare also essential.5
SABER COUNTRY REPORT 2012LIBERIA ǀ EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTThe NIPECD is an explicitly-stated multi-sectoral ECDpolicy. The NIPECD is the first of its kind in Liberia andsignals the country’s commitment to its youngestcitizens. The policy was officially launched in April 2012,and design of the implementation plan is underway. Aprimary objective of the policy is to enhancecoordination and cohesion amongst the many ECDactors to create a unified ECD system in Liberia.The NIPECD sets forth an ambitious set of goalspertaining to intervention coverage levels and quality,and the design of an integrated ECD system. A snapshotof the goals to be achieved in five years includes: Construct new ECD centers and provide services tocover 70 percent of the most needy areas; Develop an ECD training framework and train atleast 50 percent of the ECD teachers and caregivers; Reduce child malnutrition from 20 percent to 5percent; and, Increase the use of insecticide-treated bed nets tofight malaria from 45 percent to 80 percent.The Bureau for Early Childhood Education has beenestablished as an institutional anchor to coordinateECD across sectors. Situated within the Ministry ofEducation, the Bureau was developed in 2011 tochampion ECD in Liberia. As part of the NIPECD, theNational Inter-sectoral Committee on ECD wasestablished to guide policy and program developmentat the national level. This committee is comprised ofrepresentatives from the Ministries of Education (aschair), Health and Social Welfare, Gender andDevelopment, Justice, Finance, and Internal Affairs, asdepicted in Figure 1. Specifically, the proposedobjectives of the committee are to: Facilitate the management and coordination of theNIPECD under the leadership of the MOE;Initiate the development and/or review of plans,policies, required regulations, standards etc.related to the implementation of the NIPECD;Ensure availability of the resources for theimplementation of the NIPECD;Manage the targeting of programs to ensure thatservices reach the designated groups;Coordinate the partnerships required forintegrated service delivery;Coordinate all the requirements such asinformation and establishment of relevantdatabases for the implementation of integratedservices;Support and coordinate the creation of interMinisterial structures at the county level; andDevelop,monitorandevaluatetheimplementation plan.Figure 1: Organization structure of the National Inter-sectoral Committee on ECDSYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS6
LIBERIA ǀ EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTSABER COUNTRY REPORT 2012Box 2: Snapshot of non-state ECD stakeholders in LiberiaLocal and international agencies, NGOs, and civil society groups play an important role in ECD in Liberia. Thesestakeholders, which are incorporated in the NIPECD, have four primary roles: i) operate and deliver ECD activities; ii)provide technical assistance to other ECD stakeholders in the development and implementation of ECD policies andactivities; iii) provide resources to support ECD initiatives; and, iv) monitor and evaluate implementation of ECDactivities.For instance, Plan International Liberia has several programs and services to promote better ECD. One example is thesupport given to traditional birth assistances (TBAs). TBAs often work in rural localities as caregivers and lackadequate training and equipment. This project builds capacity by providing TBAs in remote communities with specifictraining, improved birth delivery kits, and better facilities. Plan International Liberia also assists GoL efforts to increaseaccess to birth registration services, and implements programming to promote gender equality. Cooperative forAssistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) International aims to improve access to water and sanitation facilities andoffers training to promote good hygiene and changes in behavior. The World Food Program (WFP) is quite active inLiberia. The WFP provides food assistance to protect the nutritional and health status of mothers and children at riskof malnutrition. Some of the other prominent organizations include the Open Society Initiative (with the Open SocietyInitiative for West Africa), UNICEF, an
learning, health, nutrition and social and child protection policies and interventions in Liberia, along with some regional and international comparisons. Situated on the west coast of Africa, the Republic of Liberia is home to 3.3 million people (national population census, 2008). The civil war, which lasted from s 1989 to 1996 and
Liberia has been embarking on tax reforms since 2013. Liberia’s main domestic taxes include corporate income tax, personal income tax, goods and services tax, and excise tax. The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), in charge of administering revenues in Liberia. The LRA was established on July 1, 2013 replacing a revenue department of the MFDP.
2014 Mission Minded Kids VBS Lessons LIBERIA Objectives for Liberia VBS Lessons: 1. Briefly review 2013 Japan VBS Project 2. To learn basic facts about the country of Liberia 3. To recognize the flag of Liberia 4. To be introduced to Rev. Matthew and Esther Gueh, Fi
Understand the importance of early childhood education for 0-6 years Learn the need and scope of early childhood education. 18.2 Importance/ Need for early childhood care and education 18.2.1 Significance of early childhood years i. Early childhood is a period of life not just quantitatively different from that of an adult
Early Childhood Care, Development and Education (ECCDE) is a term that is used interchangeably worldwide but refers to the same concept of early childhood education and cognitive development. The World Bank for instance refers to it as Early Childhood Care and Education, whereas UNESCO refers to it as Early Childhood Development Care.
Overview 12 Financial Soundness of Liberia’s Banking Industry 13 Profitability 16 Competition 18 Outlook 20 MICROFINANCE IN LIBERIA 21 INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN LIBERIA 22 Financial Sector 22 Real Estate & Construction 22 Forestry 22 Mining 23 Oil Sector 23 Hospitality 24 INCENTIVES AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INVESTMENT 25 Capital Controls 25 .
companies An entity is resident for tax purposes if that company: is incorporated or formed under the laws of Liberia and either: has its management and control in Liberia; or undertakes the majority of its operations in Liberia; Is a corporation, registered business company, limited liability company, foundation, trust, limited
CODE OF LIBERIA, PHASE ONE OF THE REFORM TAX CODE OF LIBERIA, A.D. (2000) Verbatim, as Edited October 2000 in a paper back volume from cover to cover. Section 2 Short Title. This Act may be briefly cited and referred to as "REVENUE CODE OF LIBERIA (2000)". Section 3. Privilege of Exemption from Duties.
2 Page . Preface . The Academic Phrasebank is a general resource for academic writers. It aims to provide the phraseological ‘nuts and bolts’ of academic writing organised a
