The_Open_Door_deel1

-381-
about 19,000 were between 5 and 15 years of age. Nearly two
thirds of Monrovia's population of 10 years and over were
considered illiterate in 1962 (52).
During only five sessions instruction above 6th grade level was
given. The 9,300 Monrovian elementary and secondary school
pupils attended sessions which ranged in size from 100 to 550
(53).
TABLE 56
SESSIONS OF GRADE LEVEL TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MONROVIA (1963).
G R A D E L E V E L T A U G H T
SESSION 1 - 6 7 - 9 9 - 1 2 7 - 1 2
Morning 17 1 1
Afternoon 13 1 1
Evening 6 1
TOTAL 3J± 2 2 1
Source: "A Five-Year Plan for Education In Liberia", p.14.
Of the 26 structures which were used for classroom purposes only
four had been constructed for school use and were publicly owned
(54). These four buildings housed some 1,800'students. The other
7,500 students attended classes in houses, apartments, fraternal
buildings, churches, warehouses, and in one case a palm frond
hut. All buildings were leased (by the Government) from private
owners. The houses and apartments had rooms which allowed a
separation of grades but the warehouses and the churches did not.
Consequently, several grades were taught in large, single rooms.
More than 1,600 children received instruction in large rooms
together with five or six other class groups.
Sanitary facilities were poor - if available at all. Only six
schools had running water and more than 7,000 elementary school
children shared 31 toilets of which, however, only 21 were in
working order at the time of the survey, early 1963 (55).
Training of Teachers (1963)
Prior to March 1947 no systematically organized and implemented
training of teachers existed. In 1947 the first degree-granting
teachers' training college was created by a, joint effort of the