As we celebrate this landmark day in our historical evolution, it is important to remember the statement of a great philosopher Socrates that "a life unexamined is not worth living".
We should therefore take stock of our country’s performance over the past 58 years. Government needs to look at our economic progress to see where we are doing well and where we have challenges so that we can fix them for the betterment of The Gambia.
Mr President, how far is the drill of the petrol which was announced more than three decades ago? Gambians are still waiting for the outcome.
More attention should be given to security, transport, housing, electricity and water supply, inflation of goods and services, promotion of democracy, press freedom, rule of law and good governance. It is essential that you appoint more women to serve as cabinet ministers after the eminent cabinet reshuffle. Among the current 22 cabinet members, only three are female. And of the 23 ambassadors, only five are female. This is happening on the backdrop of the fact that 57% of the voters or electorate is women.
Mr President, you should always promote gender parity and involve women in government’s decision-making. They also should be appointed to serve in the boards of parastatals, public enterprises and Public Service Commission.
Mr President, education is the lifeblood of society. It is therefore very important that you reflect on the trend of our education system since it is a fact that there are anomalies that need to be addressed.
Mr President, it is wise to consider the following initiatives for better condition for teachers in The Gambia:
Thus it is essential to:
establish a Teaching Service Commission to regulate the perennial issues related to appointment, promotion, deployment, exercising disciplinary control over teachers and more importantly, improve their working and living conditions.
Scrap the current Retention Allowance Scheme where Government is currently paying D500; D750 and D1,000 for teachers who have worked for 1 - 4 yrs, 5 - 9 yrs and 10 yrs and above, respectively;
Motivate Graduate Teachers so that they can take up teaching in the provinces. CRR South could attract only 2 Graduate Teachers this academic year when some of its Senior Secondary Schools do not have more than 3 graduates (less than 1%) which is contrary to policy requirement;
Institute a robust performance management system to motivate and retain teachers as more than 40% of its teachers have been and continue to work beyond the minimum years of experience and competence to be promoted, thanks to poor management practices;
Provide bursaries and scholarships for deserving teachers to improve their competences for quality service delivery. Education is seriously underfunded - contrary to Government's claims that it receives the highest amount aside Debt Service, not even a dime is available for development;
Most schools in CRR and URR lack qualified teachers due to mainly the lack of proper accommodation facilities;
Government needs to restore the percentage-based allowance and scrap the current absolute value system that has seriously affected the monthly emoluments of the teachers thus affecting their productivity level.
Our Lower Basic Teachers do not have the competencies to teaching our national languages, thus failing to lay the necessary requirements of foundational learning.
To curb examination malpractice, all Senior Secondary Schools or Exam Centers must have proper Halls. This will ease invigilation and supervision of exams.
The majority of our Upper Basic and Senior Secondary Schools are ill-equipped in terms of workshops and labs for their practicals.
Mr President, we are appealing to the Education Ministries to put an immediate stop to the ongoing inter-house sports currently being held at the Serekunda West Mini Stadium along the Kairaba Avenue.
These activities are posting some threats to the life and properties of people working and plying that road.
Kairaba Avenue is a busy road with many businesses taking place there and some criminals use this opportunity to rob people whilst in vehicles, snatching their phones and other valuables broad daylight.
Students are pelting people with stones here and there whilst cars are moving along that busy road. This is very dangerous.
If this activity has to continue, enough security personnel should be deployed to secure the lives and properties of people along that highway.
Finally, Mr President, the Education ministries have to put their houses in order looking at the issues of students in Basse and the current problems of inter-houses. All night inter-house parties should be banned across the country in all schools.
Good day!