By Fatou Saho
The Gambia has faced persistent calls from education stakeholders for increased government financing to address critical challenges in the education sector. Recently, the Gambia Teachers Union (GTU) and the Education For All campaign Network (EFANet) have both urged the government to raise the education budget, emphasising that such investment is essential for quality service delivery, gender equity, and socio-economic development. Both EFANet and GTU have pointed out that The Gambia has not yet reached the global and continental benchmark for education funding, which is set at 20% of domestic financing. Recent data shows that the country allocated 17.5% of its budget to education in 2023, marking a 3.02% increase from the previous year, but still below the recommended target. The government has taken some steps to improve education financing, including the introduction of the School Improvement Grant (SIG) initiative, which has helped increase school enrollment and reduce dropout rates, as well as close the gender gap in education. However, challenges remain, such as the fact that a significant portion of the education budget is spent on administrative costs rather than direct teaching and learning improvements. There is also a need for more innovative financing mechanisms, such as public-private partnerships and increased corporate social responsibility contributions.
Renewing its call for greater budget allocation for the education sector at the Commemoration of the Global Action week for Education held in Foñi, Mrs Sillah said: “Education in emergencies provides physical, psychosocial and cognitive protection that can sustain and save lives.”
She noted that these and other unmentioned forms of protection and support cannot be actualise under a low budget.
The National Co-ordinator of the Network, Mr Kebba Omar Jarjusey, appealed to the government and other stake holders to help in the increment of the education budget and save education in the context of crises.
