By: Ben TC Brooks | River Gee Correspondent
River Gee County | Feb. 28, 2026 | The administration of the government-run Gee Foundation school in Fish-Town, River Gee County, has responded swiftly to public concern following media reports that pupils were attending classes while seated on tarpaulins due to a severe shortage of desks.
The situation, first highlighted by Voice of RiverGee-VOG sparked widespread reaction across the county after revealing the harsh learning conditions faced by dozens of young learners, particularly students in the K-2 class.
For several years, many pupils had no choice but to sit on the bare classroom floor during lessons, relying on their laps as writing surfaces because of an acute shortage of desks and armchairs.
Following publication of the report, school authorities mobilized their limited internal resources and successfully procured several desks in an effort to improve conditions and restore dignity to the classroom environment.
Madam Hellen Mansah, K-2 teacher at the school, described the situation as heartbreaking.
“For years, the children have been sitting on the ground on tarpaulins to learn, and it has never satisfied me,” she said. “When I heard and saw the media report, I felt broken. Although the report appeared negative about us as teachers and about the school, it has brought about a positive result.”
Mansah used the opportunity to call on humanitarian organizations, district lawmakers, and the national government to prioritize safe and conducive learning environments for early-grade learners, especially in public institutions across rural communities.
For his part, the school Principal T. Hne Giplay admitted that the situation was embarrassing but emphasized that financial challenges had delayed intervention.
“Yes, we saw and heard the media reports, and it was embarrassing for us,” he stated. “With the little resources we collected from activity fees, we were able to purchase some desks. Today, many of our students are no longer sitting on the ground.”
However, he clarified that while progress has been made, the problem has not been fully resolved.
Several students still sit on the floor, and in some cases, others stand during lessons due to insufficient seating capacity.
The Gee Foundation School, located in the Bassa Community of Fish-Town, the capital of River Gee County’s electoral district two, represented by Hon. Isaac Boye Choloplay Wou currently serves more than 500 students during the 2025/2026 academic year.
At the start of the academic year, the Ministry of Education provided slightly over 150 modern armchairs intended to support Early Childhood Development – ECD sessions.
The furniture was distributed between the Demonstration School and the Gee Foundation School.
School officials say the donation, though appreciated, falls far short of meeting the combined enrollment needs of the two institutions.
As a result, pupils, particularly those in grades one through four, continue to compete daily for the limited available seats, even after the recent intervention.
However, parents and community members have renewed calls for increased government investment in educational infrastructure across River Gee County.
They stress that while the recent provision of desks marks an important step forward, sustainable and comprehensive support is urgently needed to address the broader shortage of classroom furniture and resources.
They added that improving basic learning conditions is essential to boosting student performance, maintaining classroom discipline, and ensuring that children in rural Liberia receive equal access to quality education.
As the academic year progresses, many in Fish-Town remain hopeful that continued advocacy and engagement with education authorities will lead to lasting solutions that guarantee every child a safe, comfortable, and dignified place to learn.
