Liberia: Description, History, ProblemsStarr, Frederick
History
Liberia: Description, History, Problems
Starr, Frederick
Liberia
When we were in Monrovia, we were asked more than once whether it was
best to remove Liberia College into the interior. It is the opinion of
many that such removal should take place. The answer to the question
depends entirely upon what is conceived to be the proper function of
Liberia College. If it is to be an institution of higher education, if
it is to aim at academic instruction and the development of able men for
the filling of public positions, for professional life, for leadership,
it would be a great mistake to move it. To remove such an institution
into the interior would make it difficult for students from the
settlements to attend the institution; if it were intended to meet the
needs of natives, its removal would sound the death knell of its hopes;
it could be located in the area of a single tribe only, and located in
such an area, it would receive the patronage of but a single tribe.
Recognizing the fact that the natives are actually tribesmen, if schools
of higher grade than primary village schools are to be developed, with
reference to them, there should be at least one school of higher
instruction in every tribal area; such schools should be of a grade
corresponding to our secondary or grammar schools. It is unlikely that
any one will, for many years, think of the establishment of such higher
schools in numbers sufficient for each tribal area to have one; while,
theoretically the idea may be attractive, practically it is out of
question. It would be entirely possible, however, for four good county
schools of grammar grade to be established--one in each county; these
should be in the country, not in the settlements. They should be open to
both natives and Liberians, but it is to be supposed that their
attendance would be largely, overwhelmingly indeed, native. These county
schools should be thoroughly practical--they should combine book-work
and manual-training; they should give instruction in trades and
agriculture. They should be as well equipped and as well managed as the
resources of the Republic will allow. They should be thorough and
earnest, and should not attempt to undertake more than the exact work
here suggested; they should be secondary--grammar--schools, and a part
of their aim should be to fully acquaint every student attending them
with the work and opportunities of the Higher Agricultural School,
outside Monrovia, and Liberia College at the capital. The teachers
should not attempt to force large numbers of their students to look for
higher education, but should make them thoroughly acquainted with the
fact that opportunities may be found in the Republic for it; the very
few students of _real promise_, who desire education of higher grade,
the teachers should encourage and direct toward the Higher Agricultural
School and Liberia College; certainly the larger number of the boys
should be directed toward the former--a select few of special promise in
the direction of leadership, toward the latter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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