By Aminata S Kuyateh and Fatou Saho
Unesco in collaboration with ICESCO Tuesday commenced a four days training on the advancement of Arab- Islamic education in The Gambia.
The training is funded by Islamic World Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO).
Held at the regional directorate in Kanifing, the training session focuses on modernising education means and methods, and harnessing ICT education.
The training seeks to explore the obstacles hindering the process of Arab-Islamic education and its alignment with contemporary requirements while respecting the cultural and civilisational peculiarities of the Islamic Ummah.
The acting secretary General of the Gambia National Commission for Unesco, Maimuna Sidibeh, said education plays an essential role in shaping, guiding, and projecting human civilisations into the most decent life prospects.
“Adopting ICT enable modalities for education intending to enhance the outcome of institutions by consuming the least resources,” she said.
She added that ICESCO in its quest to transform and meet the current technological demands of the Islamic world in education and is aware of the fact that ICTs have removed geographical barriers.
“A teacher can be stationed at any location now and efficiently deliver lectures to students across different parts of the world,” she said.
Mariama Chaw, a representative from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), said her ministry is looking forward to making Arabic as part of other international languages offered in schools.
“This program is in the right direction because most teachers have zero literacy in ICT,” she said.
Dr Youssef Abodaka, programme manager ICESCO said ICT facilitates the dissemination and exchange of successful experience for the development of education and training.
