“Our union would want to advocate that the Government of The Gambia put an end to decline in the number of teachers and then drive towards the increase not only in the number but also the quality of teachers for profession,” Mr Ceesay said. “By such a drive it will have to take deliberate measures such as putting an education service commission that will look into the welfare of teachers, educators and all those that are concerned with business education provision in the country.”
He added that the Education Sector needs teachers who are well-trained, supported and valued to guarantee quality education for all Gambians and raising the national drive for education to meet the targets of the 2030 Agenda.
“Our union wants to indulge not only the Gambia Government but all partners in the business of education to support our teachers and students,” he further said.
He quoted the saying that no nation’s education can be better than the quality of its teachers, stating, “therefore, government’s priority should be to better the lot of our teachers by remunerating them well, better their conditions of service and making sure that teacher workload commensurate to that which human rights allows”.
Mr Ceesay thanked their partners and well-wishers in particular the Government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Education International, Irish Education, among others.
Meanwhile, the Gambia Teachers’ Union yesterday joined the global community in celebrating World Teachers’ Day. This year's domesticated theme is: The Teachers we need for the Education We want. Established an Education Service Commission Now.
World Teachers' Day is an international day held annually on 5 October to celebrate the work of teachers. Instituted in 1994, it commemorates the signing of recommendation by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The 1966 "ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers" is a standard-setting instrument that addresses the status and situations of teachers around the world. This recommendation outlines standards relating to education personnel policy, recruitment, and initial training as well as the continuing education of teachers, their employment, and working conditions. World Teachers' Day aims to focus on "appreciating, assessing and improving the educators of the world" and to provide an opportunity to consider issues related to teachers and teaching.
