For the students who just graduated, it must be remembered that the purpose of education has always been to lift the mist of ignorance and cultivate the praiseworthy virtues that come with knowledge and understanding. But even more virtuous is the using of that knowledge to uplift and elevate the conditions of our people to higher fields of development and progress. This is, especially the case if you hail from the underdeveloped part of the world, where the highest levels of illiteracy and under education thrive.
It’s also necessary to realise the great responsibility you are called to take on and not to shy away from it. An educated person owes his people a lot. Service borne out of the need for greater improvement for our societies and communities is needed and indispensible, in achieving the development goals of the government. Those who are lucky enough to be educated to such levels, considering the fact that most young people never had the opportunity to cross the threshold of high school due to economic factors, amongst other factors, have a mighty responsibility to go out there and place their services with the people in need and want.
The university has been making great strides in offering a chance to the many graduates who leave school and has been making greater efforts to complement the dreams of advancement in areas of study that have hitherto been only available to the privileged ones who have the means to go outside for studies. The luck of recent senior secondary school leavers is a great one, when compared to the many who left school without having the chance to further their studies owing to the fact that they didn’t have the economic means to travel outside. So they are supposed to grab this unique prospect and make the best use of it; for eventually it’s themselves who will be the foremost beneficiaries before anyone else.
Our government, which has been doing a lot to support the educational sector, should be keen in providing the deserving students with scholarships to pursue their dreams. It’s a naked reality that some of the most brilliant students are from poor families and cannot afford the basic tuition fees to get into these higher tertiary institutions. To break the cycle of poverty for these people and their families is to invest in their education, thus giving them a chance to have decent professions and lifting themselves from that quagmire of poverty and need. It’s not the work of the government alone but also every able Gambian who can support.
It is no hidden fact that the university fees have been rising over the years. And the starting point for a sustainable development for our country is the enhancement of the education of its people. Development can never be a reality when illiteracy and ignorance reign supreme. Every society that had made headways in its own development in all its area, owes it to the fact that education and knowledge are its foremost priorities. So the contribution of the university in the development of The Gambia is central and necessary, and must be made accessible to everyone who is capable.
With that said we call on all relevant stakeholders to contribute to the success of the students. The government cannot do it all alone. It requires all and sundry to put all hands on deck; for when we have an educated populace, it’s the private institutions and investors who benefit more than anybody, due to the simple fact that, it’s only with the ready availability of expertise that service delivery is excellent.
Progress for students is in sincere dedication to seeking knowledge and being serious in the vocation of educational pursuit. To come out as an excellent graduate who will be a source pride and an exemplar of success, the student must be willing to undergo a great degree of work. So we advise all outgoing students who desire to further their learning to keep that in mind and never falter amid the difficulties that come with the classroom life.
Congratulations to all graduates as you continue on further quest for the Golden Fleece.
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