By Olimatou Coker
Education For All Campaign Network-The Gambia (EFANet) and partners have urged the government to consider education as an investment.
The stakeholders made these calls during the 20th anniversary celebration of the Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) 2023 Bantaba held in Janjanbureh, CRR.
Commemorated under the theme “Investing in a Just World: Decolonising Education Financing Now,” the event is the flagship initiative that the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) carries out annually. It aims to mobilise joint action around specific issues that affect the right to education and raise awareness among all actors involved in its defence and realisation.
Adama Jimba Jobe, the deputy permanent secretary of programmes at MoBSE, called on the private sector to invest in education to complement the government’s efforts.
PS Jobe reiterates the government’s commitment towards promoting TVET education.
He disclosed that all future constructions in schools will cater for teachers’ residences.
Bakary Badjie, EFANet board chairperson, said as education rights advocates, they want education to be available and accessible to all free of charge and without discrimination.
“Education has been chronically underfunded, and countless countries cannot allocate the budget required by their education systems or give education the financial priority it demands. This is the challenge this year’s theme is trying to address,” he said.
Nfamara Dabo, programmes and sponsorship director at Childfund, said ChildFund and its partners in civil society will continue to work with the government to ensure access to quality education for all children.
“Achieving national education goals will require additional funding commitments over the coming years. These resources should be used effectively by reducing spending inefficiencies common in many education systems,” he said.
Marie Antoinette Corr, the Secretary General of The Gambia Teachers Union (GTU), said GAWE provides national and regional education-focused organisations an opportunity to make targeted efforts to achieve progress on the ground with the added support of education campaigners and millions of members of the public worldwide joining the same cause.
She called on the government to prioritise education in its support mechanisms, especially during these trying moments.
“The entire GTU reiterates our commitment to working progressively with all stakeholders to ensure that the aspirations of teachers become a reality. We aspire that every child must have a well-motivated, well-qualified, and highly professional teacher,” she said.
