1. Teaching Well? E ducational reconstruction efforts and (non)salaries for teachers in postwar Liberia Janet Shriberg, IRC/Teachers College, Columbia University Rebecca Winthrop (presenter), IRC Presentation for the roundtable on Teacher Compensation in Fragile States, Situations of Displacement and Post-Conflict Return, October 11, 2006, World Bank, Washington DC

2. Acknowledgements National Teachers Association of Liberia and especially Ms. Margaret Flomo, Acting President Liberia Ministry of Education IRC Liberia and NY Offices Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) All teachers and other education staff who are working to promote peace and educational growth to improve the future of Liberia Special thanks to the Office of Diversity and Community, Teachers College, Columbia University and the NSEP Graduate Fellowship for their generous dissertation research funding

3. Case Study of Teacher Well-being in Postwar Liberia Multi-sited 9 counties, Rural/Urban; 15 districts Diverse sample Female and male education staff working in Liberia (over 700 teachers, principals, MoE officers, National Association of Teachers in Liberia officers, faculty at UL and Teacher Training Institutes, INGO staff) Mixed methodology In-depth interviews; focus groups, semi-structured surveys, participant observation and document review

4. Liberia and West Africa Source: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/africa/liberia/map.htm

5. Background: Civil wars and displacement Over 14 years of civil war and inter-related conflicts with West Africa (1989-2003) Displacement High numbers of children and youth conscripted into fighting forces

6. Postwar Liberia and Education Education considered a priority Unemployment rate estimated at 85% Illiteracy rate estimated at 80% Lack of government resources Off-track to meet UPE Gender Disparities Changing student population

7. Teacher Shortage in Liberia Majority of teachers are under-qualified (primary and secondary) Brain drain of teachers, especially in Higher Education Lack of female teachers

8. Processes and policies surrounding teacher salary “Why so hard to get paid? ” Salary not enough to survive Obstacles to obtain salary: Distribution Mechanism –Inconsistent salary distribution –Corruption –Ghost Teachers Salary not based on qualification No regulated system of benefits

9. Consequences of Teacher Compensation on Education Provision & Quality (Preliminary Results) (1)Pedagogy and Learning Content (2)Corruption (3)Teaching as a profession (4)Teachers’ own psychosocial well-being

10. Pedagogy and Learning Content (approximately 50% teachers surveyed) “ The salary I earn affect the way I teach in that the time I have to make a lesson plan, I have to take that time to do other works to earn money and take care of the family” Multiple jobs leaves little time for lesson planning and preparation Lack of lighting (no money for candles!) limits ability to prepare at night and causes eye strain/weakness Hunger and physical weakness leads to difficulty concentrating Anxious and Distracted because cannot provide for family (food and school fees) No opportunity to pursue further training makes it hard to keep up with subject content and forces reliance on “outdated” teaching methods

11. Corruption (approximately 10%) “I use make-up tests to make me money.” “Flexible fees” and Bribery “Sex for grades” Principals have difficulty enforcing teacher codes of conduct

12. Teaching as a profession “Our field is a dumping ground.” Brain drain-Qualified teachers would rather seek a higher paying job Future of teaching wavering: No incentive to become or stay in the teaching field Lack of resources for teacher training

13. Teachers’ own Psychosocial Well-being “Our wounds are open but we work bleeding.” 97.1% said that salary they earn impacts their well-being negatively 23.4% reported feeling worry, anxiety, fear and anger because they are unable to pay for their children's school fees 26.4% of teachers, when asked about the ways that teachers have experienced trauma in their lives responded “low salary” (among answers such as war, houses burned, rape, death)

14. Teachers’ perceptions of the consequences of low salary Overlapping domains that have reciprocal influences Decrease in quality learning Potential to Increase Corruption Basic needs unmet/ Perceived negative psychosocial well-being Decrease in qualified teachers