MONROVIA, Liberia — The Government of Liberia has announced the elimination of registration fees for pupils attending public primary schools across the country, effective with the 2026/2027 academic year.
The policy covers children enrolled from Kindergarten through Grade Six, meaning parents will no longer be required to pay registration fees when enrolling their children in government-run primary schools.
Making the announcement, Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah urged parents to enroll their children without concerns about registration charges.
“We are asking parents to simply take their children to school,” Dr. Jallah said, warning that any public school found collecting registration fees could face complaints to the Ministry of Education.
The Ministry is expected to establish dedicated reporting mechanisms, including a contact number and personnel assigned across the country, to receive complaints from parents whose children are asked to pay fees that are no longer authorized.
Dr. Jallah also reminded parents and guardians that primary education is compulsory under Liberia’s Education Act. She pointed to provisions requiring parents to enroll school-age children and noted that failure to do so without a valid reason, after proper notice, may constitute a misdemeanor under the Penal Law.
The Minister stressed that parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their eligible children attend school.
According to Dr. Jallah, the government will finance the free registration policy through the EXCEL Project and grants to be provided to public schools nationwide. The funding, she explained, is intended to cover registration-related expenses as well as other essential needs at the school level.
The Ministry of Education also plans to conduct a nationwide awareness campaign to ensure parents, guardians and communities understand that registration fees have been removed for public-school pupils from Kindergarten through Grade Six.
The government says the initiative is aimed at easing the cost of sending children to school and encouraging more families to enroll their children as Liberia works to expand access to basic education.
