Education serves as the fundamental driver of societal progress by empowering civic engagement, economic growth and above all self-awareness. At a societal level, a well-educated workforce drives innovation, productivity, and economic development.
Its multifaceted nature makes it a process that extends beyond the mere acquisition of knowledge, encompassing the development of critical minds, social skills, and ethical values.
Thus, people should do away with the belief in some quarters that academic education is suited only for men. Let’s bear in mind education is a fundamental human right and no child should be denied it.
Gone are the days when some conservative communities tend to see girl’s education as a waste of time due to the consideration that the girl child is only as good as an object of marriage, who will eventually be married off.
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) this week released the 2025 Gambia Basic Education Certificate Examination results for grade 9 students.
What took many by surprise is the overwhelming performance of girls over their male counterparts.
Of the 60 students, who attained the prestigious aggregate score of 6 in this year’s GABECE, a staggering 42 were girls and only 18 were boys, cementing girls’ dominance in both participation and performance. This is commendable indeed.
According to the Ministry, a total of 31,734 candidates were registered for the said examinations. Of the expected results, 29,851 candidates representing 91% of those registered have been fully processed and officially released.
Out of the registered candidates, 29,026 students sat for at least one subject in the said exams. Also results for 5.9% candidates are currently being finalised to ensure complete and accurate reporting, primarily due to pending assessment score submissions and routine technical verification.
Kudos to all girls, especially those excelling in their various subjects, even though they couldn’t make it to the top performers level!
For far too long, our female counterparts have continued to face hardships in society. And for some it is due to the fact that they are denied education, which is key and vital in self-empowerment.
In some communities, the prospect of the girl-child continuing her education at tertiary level is faced with stiff challenges in view of the fact that her academic education comes to a halt when a ‘suitable’ male person asks for her hand in marriage. This is really sad.
We thus call on parents and guardians to allow their girl child to continue their academic education even up to university. This will help her to develop herself and contribute meaningfully to national development.
Over the last few years, activists have raised concerns about girls’ rate of dropout in school due to various reasons. We believe a renewed advocacy is necessary to ensure girls in school are allowed to finish their education unless otherwise. This will help to empower them to contribute more to national development. Remember: no one should be denied basic education. Each one, teaching one should be our concern and endeavour.