Landmark partnership seeks to strengthen teacher training, improve classroom instruction, and expand access to quality education across three Liberian counties.
In a move aimed at strengthening Liberia’s education system, LICOSESS College of Education and Opportunity Network Liberia (ONL) have signed a 15-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) transferring the management and academic leadership of the CAN Leadership Academy School System to LICOSESS.
Signed on August 3, 2026, the agreement establishes a new framework for improving academic standards, strengthening teacher preparation, and promoting professional school management across campuses in Montserrado, Bong, and Nimba counties.
The agreement followed transition meetings held on July 30 and 31 in Jacob Town, Montserrado County; Gbarnga, Bong County; and Neigbein, Nimba County. The meetings brought together school administrators, teachers, and support staff to discuss the new governance structure and implementation plan.
Under the arrangement, LICOSESS College of Education will oversee the academy’s academic, administrative, institutional, and quality assurance functions, while Opportunity Network Liberia will retain strategic oversight as the institution’s founding organization.
Dr. Benjamin Yele Wehye, an official of LICOSESS College of Education, said the partnership is anchored in academic excellence, professional management, transparency, accountability, child protection, financial sustainability, continuous teacher development, innovation in teaching, and long-term institutional growth.
A major component of the agreement is the designation of CAN Leadership Academy as an official LICOSESS Demonstration School, creating opportunities for trainee teachers to gain supervised classroom experience while applying the knowledge and skills acquired through their professional training.
The initiative seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice by bringing teacher education and classroom instruction into a coordinated learning environment. Through this arrangement, aspiring educators will have opportunities to develop practical teaching skills while contributing to the academic development of students.
The partnership covers three campuses that currently enroll approximately 1,690 students, including 790 in Montserrado County, 400 in Bong County, and 500 in Nimba County.
Collectively, the campuses contain 65 classrooms, 20 administrative offices, more than 40 modern bathrooms with running water, two 50 KVA standby generators, campus-wide water systems, and Starlink internet connectivity. The facilities also include approximately 2,000 student chairs, 75 student desks, and other educational resources.
The agreement further covers institutional assets such as science materials, office equipment, multimedia instructional tools, musical instruments for arts education, and nine industrial tailoring machines to support vocational learning. Guest houses in Montserrado and Bong counties, with more than 20 accommodation rooms, are also included.
As part of the integration plan, Dr. Wehye announced that LICOSESS intends to relocate its Patmelia Annex to the Jacob Town campus beginning with the September-November 2026 trimester. The college also plans to relocate its Bong County operations from St. Peter’s Episcopal High School.
The planned relocations are expected to bring teacher education programs closer to practical classroom instruction, creating opportunities for trainee teachers to learn within an established school environment.
To strengthen accountability and institutional sustainability, the agreement introduces several governance reforms, including improved financial management systems, joint oversight through a Partnership Council, transparent human resource management, performance monitoring, modern procurement procedures, continuous professional development, and stronger child safeguarding and quality assurance policies.
The two institutions envision a coordinated education system linking early childhood, primary, secondary, and teacher education, with the broader objective of improving learning outcomes and strengthening professional teaching standards.
Eric Wowoh, Chief Executive Officer of CAN Leadership Academy, said the initiative is expected to improve classroom instruction, strengthen academic supervision, and expand access to quality education in Montserrado, Bong, and Nimba counties.
Implementation activities are already underway ahead of the 2026-2027 academic year. These include recruitment, a free vacation and enrichment school program, campus engineering and classroom readiness assessments, infrastructure renovations, intensive teacher training, and student admissions from nursery through Grade 12.
The institutions also plan to expand LICOSESS College of Education programs across the three counties, further strengthening opportunities for teacher preparation and professional development.
The partnership represents a significant step toward integrating school management with teacher education, creating a framework in which professional training and classroom learning can reinforce one another.
For parents, teachers, and students, the ultimate measure of success will be improved teaching quality, stronger academic supervision, better learning opportunities, and a safe and supportive school environment.
Both institutions have reaffirmed their commitment to working together throughout the 15-year agreement to position CAN Leadership Academy as a model for educational excellence while strengthening Liberia’s teacher education system.
As implementation progresses, the partnership will be judged not merely by the resources transferred or the structures established, but by its ability to improve educational outcomes and prepare a new generation of Liberians for the future.
