By Lamin B. Darboe
Information Officer, MoBSE
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) encouraged Gambians to be part of the paradigm shift on mainstreaming pre-vocational education system within the basic education sector.
Louise Moses Mendy was speaking on Thursday during the official opening ceremony of a day-long national consultation meeting held at the Regional Education Directorate in Region One Kanifing.
The meeting brought together stakeholders to MoBSE and the theme includes: “mainstreaming pre-vocational education in basic education sector (Grades 4, 5 and 6”).
“Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program is being looked at by my ministry and MoHERST,” adding that young people need to have skills during their tender age.
He used the chance to call on the educationists to come forward and participate fully towards revitalizing the education system, thus the system needs reforms and as a ministry, he added, they want to look at agriculture in details within the school system.
MoBSE’s No. 2 revealed before participants that his ministry will conduct national education policy review meeting next year and he called on everyone to be part of the process.
Chairman, National Assembly Select Committee on Education, Hon. Yaya Gassama said as Gambians, we are now seeing the importance of TVET in schools while urging all and sundry to address fundamental gap in our education system.
Hon. Sidia Jatta challenged MoBSE and partners to organize TVET National conference while stressing that no outsiders will come and develop Gambia for us.
“We need to take part in the development process of our country rather than putting our hope on foreigners. Education system needs to be reconstructed so as to save the interest of Gambians,” Hon. Jatta said.
The main objective of the meeting included organizing and leading a stakeholder conference on mainstreaming pre-vocational education in basic education grades 4, 5 and 6, mobilizing local support initiatives and funding from both government and private partners for the implementation of the pre-vocational education in grades 4, 5 and 6.
Working towards achieving the aspiration of one policy goal of the two ministries of education especially in TVET education, to address the current human capital development needs of the country as per the recently launched TVET Policy that will pave the way for bridging the skills gaps that existed between one level of education to another and offering opportunity for creating a competitive career path development for skills sectors in The Gambia.
