By Olimatou Coker
Essa Sowe, deputy secretary general of The Gambia Teachers Union (GTU) has announced that after a long period (between16 -22 years) without promotion, some 1228 have just been promoted to new grades and positions.
Mr Sowe further disclosed that 41% of the promoted teachers are female while 59% are male, adding that 128 of them are Madrassa teachers.
Sowe made these disclosures on Friday at a press briefing called by the GTU as part of the 2020 teachers’ promotion forum.
He described the forum as an historic event in the 84-year life of the Gambia Teachers Union. ”It was in early 2018 that GTU conducted a desk review with the human resources directorate of the Ministry of Education which revealed that for some reasons, a good number of teachers have been serving for up to 20 years without promotion, with some even retired already. “To be exact, some 909 of them, (74%) were never promoted in their lives despite teaching for between 17 and 20 years. But we are pleased to announce that as we speak now, the newly promoted teachers have been paid their new grades,” Sowe said.
He expressed delight that the newly promoted teachers included a large number of female teachers(500), the largest number of female school managers at anytime in the history of the ministry.
Mr Sowe also revealed that 9 of the promoted teachers were promoted from Grade11 (Principals for that matter) from senior secondary schools, noting that a Grade11 holder is equivalent to a director position in the public sector.
Another speaker, Baboucarr O. Joof, the General Manager of GTU Credit Union described the event as a great achievement.
