An
in-country tour of Bansang by the Competitive College Club (CCC) of Kaur Senior
Secondary School is meant to expose students to places they are not familiar
with, the club’s coordinator said.
“The
tour gives us the opportunity to go outside the four corners of the classroom
to learn more,” Kebba Kanteh, a science and physical education teacher, said in
an interview on Saturday.
His
club went round the commercial town in the Central River Region from 21-23
July, 2016, visiting the Alkalo of Bansang and the Bansang Community Radio.
They also visited Bansang Upper Basic and Bansang Senior Secondary schools, the
GRTS antenna, and the Bansang Youth Centre.
The
CCC is an initiative of the U.S. Embassy in Banjul. A selected number of senior
secondary schools in Farafenni, Janjangbureh, Sibanor, Wellingara, Basse and
the Greater Banjul have established clubs meant to avail students firsthand
information on college education, application and scholarship opportunities.
CCC
members are also exposed to learning essay writing among other things. Kanteh
said the CCC in his school, made up of the “brightest students”, has helped
improve members’ performance and prepare them for higher education.
“The
students have learned a lot, it is a good experience because most of them are
not familiar with this part of the country. So they had the chance to see
places, how business is conducted here and the settlement,” he said of the tour
funded by the U.S. Embassy.
“This
type of tour will help students to know a lot about The Gambia and important
places within the country,” he said.
This
is the second in-country tour undertaken by the Kaur competitive college club
since its establishment in 2015 with the help of Kristin Brodie (known as Ndey
Sally), a member of the U.S. Peace Corps volunteers in The Gambia.
Mr.
Kanteh said one of the most interesting aspects of the tour is the visit to the
Bansang Youth Centre where students received lectures on basic ICT and the
importance of ICT.
“We
met a lot of youth at the Centre who are learning ICT, among them is a 60-year
old man; having such opportunities and facilities is very important for rural
Gambia,” he said.
The
CCC in Kaur has 20 members and Mr. Kanteh said the students are grateful at the
initiative of the American Embassy.
“This
is a very good initiative. It helps in career development because whenever one
thinks about higher education they are thinking about their future, which is
very important,” he said. “We hope more
students and schools will continue to benefit.”
He
said the students are thankful to the Principal of Bansang Upper Basic, Mr.
Faal, and that of Bansang Senior School, and the Alkalo of Bansang “for the
accommodation given.”
“We
are very impressed at how they received us. We met amazing people here and they
are so accommodating,” the CCC coordinator said.
Kanteh
said the Alkalo of Bansang, Alhaji Kebba Kora, gave words of advice to the
students and urges them to be hard working when he spoke to the touring club
members at his house over the weekend.
He
said they are also thankful to their Principal in Kaur Mr. Alasan Jobe who have
been giving them moral support and motivation whenever the need arises.
In
2015, Kaur Senior Secondary school participated in the CCC conference held at a
local hotel in Bijilo that was hosted by the U.S. Embassy and meant to help
expose high school students to college opportunities.
