#Headlines

Jiffarong Basic Cycle lacks math teacher for over 6 months

Apr 8, 2021, 12:31 PM | Article By: Sulayman Waan

Jiffarong Basic Cycle School in the Lower River Region (LRR) has been operating without a mathematics teacher since October 2020, leaving pupils in an appalling state ahead of next month’s exams; The Point has been anonymously informed.

The anonymous source said the person who was taught mathematics to the pupils gained to the University of The Gambia since October 2020, and since then the school had no trained teacher to teach mathematics.

“There is no qualified person to teach the grade seven, eight and nine students on mathematics. The school’s management has been contacting the Region Four (4) Directorate Office to provide a mathematics teacher, but Region 4 officials said they do not have a qualified teacher to deploy to the school,” the source said.

The source argued that the lack of a mathematics teacher has seriously affected the pupils, and noted that the school’s management has to hire unqualified students to teach the children mathematics.

The source argued that in this condition the grade nine pupils will find it difficult to pass mathematics in the forthcoming examination, adding “even with a mathematics teacher, students find it difficult to credit mathematics talk less of a lack of a teacher for that subject.”

He called on Region Four (4) Directorate Office to provide a mathematics teacher for the school, saying the subject is core in the syllabus.

AboulieBondy, principal education officer for Region Four (4) Directorate Office, said his personal office was never contacted about the lack of a mathematics teacher at the said school.

However, he assured to contact his Human Resources (HR) officer who he said travelled to Kombo to get more information. “I do not receive any report from the school about the lack of a mathematics teacher and I do not want to give anything that is not clear to me,” he said.

In a subsequent conversation, Mr. Bondy said generally mathematics teachers are a problem in the country, saying The Gambia College recruits few mathematics teachers to serve the entire country.

He vowed to speak more on this matter in future interviews.

Read Other Articles In Headlines
Ousainou Darboe v5
UDP: Barrow lacks empathy for many Yahya Jammeh victims
Sep 10, 2021, 11:58 AM

The United Democratic Party (UDP) says it’s not surprised by the reported agreement between the National People’s Party and the APRC, saying it’s not against principles of freedom of association, including the rights of political parties to forge alliances.

Ensa and Manneh
Basse panics as 43 people smuggled into Gambia
Apr 22, 2020, 1:40 PM

At least 43 people including Gambians and non-Gambians were reportedly smuggled into the country through the porous routes of the Upper River Region (URR), causing panic in the country’s farthest region particularly the cosmopolitan town of Basse, The Point can confirm.

Yahya Jammeh
Gov’t suspends sales of Jammeh’s assets amid Appeal Court ruling
Jun 8, 2020, 11:38 AM

The Ministry of Justice has announced that The Gambia government has stopped “all sales” of properties following the Janneh Commission’s recommendations in deference to the ruling of the Court of Appeal until a final pronouncement is made on the matter.

Basse Bridge
Basse bridge, roads to be completed in August 2021
Dec 18, 2020, 11:29 AM

Officials of the company that is constructing the Basse bridge and roads have affirmed that the bridge and roads that are currently under construction in the farthest region of the country would be completed in August, 2021.