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Education foundation urges parents to send kids back to school

Jan 31, 2017, 11:38 AM | Article By: Fatou Jallow

The Salimatou Foundation for Education (SaFE) has expressed “great concern” about the low attendance of pupils since the political crisis ended.

The foundation is urging all parents and guidance to send their children back to school as schools have now resumed full lessons.

A statement from SaFE, civil society organisation that promotes and advocates for free, relevant and high quality education for all, said the foundation is trying “by all means” to encourage children to go back to school.

As part of its efforts to get children back to school, the foundation also uses social media platforms in order to reach out to many parents and guidance to urge them to send their children back to school.

The political impasse that followed the former president, Yahya Jammeh’s rejection of the result of the 1st December presidential election had made thousands of people to flee the country and others left the Greater Banjul Area and Kombos for the provinces.

Humanitarian organiaations said that majority of those who fled or seek sanctuary in the provinces are women and school-going children.

This made the schools empty and as a result, classes were paused. 

The Salimatou foundation said now that the impasse has been peacefully resolved and classes resumed, parents should send their children back to school.

The foundation is concerned that if the current absenteeism of students continues unabated, “it may seriously affect” the performance of students in the grade 9 and 12 examinations.