By Nyima Bah
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in partnership with MRC Holland foundation on Friday organized a press briefing about the refurbishment and construction work progress at the proposed Crab Island Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET).
The ministry provided updates on the plans and state of progress of the initiative and a signing ceremony with community members of Banjul North.
MoBSE is supporting TVET institute which was initiated by the National Assembly Member Banjul North, to use a portion of the former Crab Island junior secondary school to establish and operate a TVET Centre for the out-of-school, unskilled and unemployed youths to acquire technical, vocational, and entrepreneurial skills.
During the ceremony, MoBSE and MRC Holland Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding to help the facility to provide technical education for students in secondary schools in Banjul.
Mr Moses Mendy, permanent secretary at MoBSE, said since 2016 a lot of planning and discussions have taken place as to what to do with the premises of Crab Island until a conclusion was reached and TVET came to take centre stage. He mentioned that as it is stated in the educational policy 2016- 2030, TVET should be a promoted and championed programme in our educational system.
He said out of three thousand and nine hundred schools in The Gambia, only eight are vocational centres which he said has become an exigency for the ministry to help in developing technical education. “So that the youths are allowed to venture into either skills development or intellectual development,” he ended.
Mrs Henrietta Brummer Sonko, coordinator MRC Holland Foundation, expressed her excitement to be partnering with MoBSE for the first time through this project. She hoped they will be able to take the initiative to other parts of the country “where we can get partners to involve to support technical education.”
Madam Sonko said they will provide a quality fence to ensure that the school is well secured and also renovate eight classrooms, including toilets and provide an entrance gate.
Hon. Ousman Sillah, NAM for Banjul North also the promoter of the Crab Island TVET initiative, heightened the key roles of a NAM saying “my role is prescribed by law and it is to be making laws to serve as an oversight in terms of government institutions and also an advocate to issues that promote the welfare of the country.” With that, he thanked the partners for their support and also urged parents to support the initiative by enrolling the youths to the technical school to ensure that they will be responsible leaders tomorrow.
