Moving the motion, the minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Hon. Pierre Gomez, described the move as part of the new policy drive and a significant milestone in the country’s education sector.
He said the policy drive is a crucial step towards The Gambia's higher education reform agenda, ensuring the provision of quality and relevant teacher training, school management and planning programmes.
“This will train world-class teachers and educators in The Gambia who will serve the entire education sector in our institutions' teaching, planning and management, from Early Childhood Development (ECD) to institutions of higher learning.”
He further stated that “banking on critical provisions of the Tertiary and Higher Education Act, 2016, the Gambia College, combined with the School of Education of the UTG, will now be mandated to deliver degree programmes and change its name to the University of Education, The Gambia.”
“As part of the same plan, UTG's School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences will integrate the programmes and resources under the Gambia College's Schools of Nursing and Public Health, and UTG's School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences will integrate programmes at the School of Agriculture at the Gambia College,”
“Consequently, the new University of Education will be made up of the two Schools of Education at UTG and Gambia College and be housed at the Gambia College. In contrast, UTG will house all the Medical and Allied Health Sciences and Agriculture and Environmental Science programs of both UTG and Gambia College.”
Hon. Alagie S. Darboe, the lawmaker for Brikama North, said no nation can develop without education. “The general education has to change to the technical education to develop the higher education. We need our own home trained engineers to do our construction. We need education, nursing and agriculture to develop our nation.”
Hon. Alieu Baldeh, member for Jarra West, said “The world is moving and that “we need engineering and technology to develop our nation. We need to invest in education with good lecturers. When we have better civil service, we have better government.”
