By Lewis S. Teh
MONROVIA, Liberia, October 16, 2026 – The Government of Liberia has condemned Wednesday’s road blockade by students of the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS), warning against involving schoolchildren in labor disputes as teachers press for salary increases.
Deputy Information Minister Daniel O. Sando, speaking at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing on Thursday, October 15, described the protest as unacceptable and commended the Liberia National Police (LNP) for what he called its professional handling of the demonstration.
Sando said there had been no reports of police brutality in connection with the protest as of Thursday morning.
His comments followed a demonstration by hundreds of public school students on Bushrod Island, who took to the streets on Wednesday to protest the prolonged absence of teachers from classrooms amid an unresolved dispute between educators and the government.
The protest, which began around Caldwell Junction, spread to major roads, disrupting traffic and business activities as students demanded the immediate resumption of classes.
Chanting “No teachers, no road!” the students expressed frustration over reportedly going more than three weeks without regular classroom instruction.
However, Sando maintained that the demonstration was linked to teachers’ demands for salary increases rather than concerns involving volunteer teachers.
He disclosed that the government, through the Ministry of Education, has absorbed 400 volunteer teachers from 26 MCSS schools onto the national payroll.
The Deputy Information Minister warned that the government would not tolerate the use of students to advance labor demands, urging teachers to pursue their grievances through established administrative channels.
“The government will not tolerate any such action,” Sando declared.
He further disclosed that the Ministry of Education had convened a meeting with the teachers’ association and other stakeholders to address the dispute.
According to him, the outcome of the discussions would be communicated to the public.
Meanwhile, the prolonged disruption of classes has raised concerns among students about their academic progress, with protesters demanding the immediate return of teachers to classrooms.
The teachers’ association’s response to the government’s latest remarks was not available in the report.
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