National report of out-of-school children validated

The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MOBSE) on Tuesday organised a two-day workshop to validate the draft report of the National Study of the Out-of-School Children in The Gambia at the regional education directorate in Kanifing.

Muhammad Jamshed Khan, the lead consultant in the study, said the validation forum was important to have the contribution and review of all the key stakeholders before the document is finalised.

Basiru Mbenga, principal education officer for region one, said the workshop was geared towards specially looking at what was needed to be added to the draft report.

Nuha Jatta, UNICEF education specialist, said the National Study of the Out-of-School Children is being conducted under the leadership of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education with UNICEF providing the technical and financial support.

The study basically focuses on the number of children who are out of school, on the children who are supposed to be in school or out of school, and where these children are in terms of region, district, etc.

Mr Jatta said the other component of the study looks at what conditions are there that has been stopping children from coming to school, or what conditions exist that are pushing children who are already in school to dropout, or what conditions are there that are putting children in school at risk of dropping out.

He said another area of focus in the study is what policies and programmes can be developed in order for the children who are not in school to come to school.