By Godgift Harris
A major political controversy has erupted in the education sector affecting volunteer teachers.
The situation followed a damning fact-checking report that contradicted Representative Musa Bility’s public claim.
Bility represents Nimba County District #7 in the 55th Legislature.
He recently formed his own political party; Citizens Movement for Change (CMC); declared himself the standard bearer.
He recently made a claimed that 80 percent of teachers in the classrooms are “volunteers.”
The claim, which Bility made during a recent public engagement, has now been described as “blatant lies and misleading.”
Local Voices, an independent media platform known for scrutinizing statements made by public officials and promoting accountability in governance dispelled his assertion.
In its fact-check, an official data from the Ministry of Education (MoE) does not support Bility’s assertion.
Instead, government statistics paint a markedly different picture of teaching workforce; one that directly contradicts the narrative presented by Mr. Bility.
The statement that sparked national debate also said, Rep. Bility, reportedly told supporters that the vast majority of teachers currently in classrooms are volunteers.
The statement quickly gained traction on social media and within political circles, fueling heated debate about the state of the country’s struggling education system.
The claim suggested that the education sector is largely dependent on “unpaid or informally employed teachers,” a scenario that would represent a severe institutional crisis and signal deep systemic failure.
For many citizens, the 80 percent figure painted a bleak portrait of a sector already grappling with limited resources, infrastructure gaps, and workforce challenges.
If accurate, it would have meant that only two out of every 10 teachers are formally employed or paid by government or institutional payrolls.
However, the subsequent review by Local Voices has called that depiction into serious question.
What the data shows, in its published findings, Local Voices cited the MoE’s 2025 Annual School Census report as the basis of its analysis.
According to the official data, Liberia currently has approximately 61,300 teachers nationwide.
Of that number, 84 percent are classified as ‘paid or regular teachers on government or institutional payrolls.’
Sixteen percent are listed as volunteer teachers, based on these figures, Local Voices (fact-checking body), concluded that Bility’s assertion 80 percent being volunteers is “grossly incorrect and unsupported by official records.”
“Local data from the MoE show that of the 61,300 teachers nationwide, 84 percent are paid or regular and 16 percent are volunteers.”
“Based on these findings, Bility’s claim that 80 percent of teachers in are volunteers is incorrect.”
The statistical gap between 16 percent and 80 percent is not marginal, but substantial.
Analysts say such a wide disparity raises serious concerns about the accuracy of public statements made by elected officials.
Silence and missing evidence
Notably, Rep Bility did not provide any documentary evidence, official report, or survey to substantiate the 80 percent figure during his remark. No reference was made to ministry data, independent research, or statistical analysis.
Political observers argue that when addressing matters of national importance, particularly in a sector as sensitive as education, leaders carry a responsibility to ensure that their statements are grounded in verifiable facts.
Education remains one of the most critical pillars of Liberia’s post-war recovery and long-term development agenda.